Like a Moth to Flame
by Turk 4 Life
Summary: Genesis was known for his legendary temper in the ShinRa Building. An unfortunate chance meeting with a plain, clumsy scientist in the confines of an elevator was the just the beginning of something that promised to be a beautiful disaster. Meanwhile, socially-awkward Sephiroth seems to have his own relationship issues. Genesis/OC Sephiroth/OC (AU- Crisis Core).
1. Chapter 1

**A.N: _This fanfiction is inspired by the great RegenesisX's amazing Genesis fanfics! This is the first fic I've actually consistently updated on a regular basis, so I really hope everyone who clicks into this story enjoys it! :D This fanfic does contain OCs, and alludes to head canons of mine created while reading other amazing authors' fics (Womble619, ScribeOfRhapsody, ScribeOfRED... and many others!), so be sure to check out their fics too if you like this story! Alright- I better get to it! But first... a disclaimer that shall stand true for this whole fic:_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, or any of them for that matter. I am but a simple fan with an over-active imagination... I can only take credit for Maya and Olivia :P Who are they? You'll find out soon ;)_**

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**Prologue-**

The artificial city bustled with civilian activity, with the eerie green glow of neon lighting illuminating the otherwise dark streets. Most of the people out on the streets streamed out of Loveless Avenue, where they had just exited the famous theatre after an enthralling showcase of a timeless masterpiece. Amongst these people was a certain auburn- headed SOLDIER. He walked with purpose in the direction of the ShinRa building, a well-read copy of Loveless clasped in his gloved hands. A content smile graced his lips as he took in the cool night air.

"_Even if the morrow is barren of promises_," the SOLDIER First-Class murmured to himself, casting a glance over his shoulder in the direction of the theatre he had just left, "_Nothing shall forestall my return_." Impressed with his clever use of the Loveless quote, he smirked and turned the corner which led to his workplace.

The evening was young and many couples milled around, loudly chatting about numerous things. Genesis' selective hearing only allowed him to perceive conversations about Loveless with the most clarity. With a content sigh, he took in the intellectual conversation and mundane praise for the literary masterpiece with equal appreciation. The Commander was definitely in one of his rare good moods.

"… isn't that Commander Rhapsodos?"

"Oh my gosh, it totally is!"

"I need his autograph, like, right now." Genesis chuckled dryly as he heard the high-pitched voices of his fan club grow louder as they began their pursuit of him. He increased his pace, the bottom of his red leather duster bellowing behind his calves. On good days, he appreciated the love and support of adoring fans. However, he wasn't exactly keen on being taken down by a bunch of hormonal young women after an incident-free evening.

If he didn't have an enigmatic, playboy image to keep up, he would have admitted that he was absolutely terrified of his fan club.

Suppressing a shiver, Genesis quickly stepped into the ShinRa building's lobby and subtly speed walked towards the elevator. Pressing the button for Level 50, the auburn haired SOLDIER folded his arms and tapped his foot on the steel flooring of the elevator as he was lifted up to his office. Genesis closed his eyes and sighed as he listened to the classical elevator music that played in the confined space. He leaned on the mirrored interior, relaxing before he inevitably made his way to his office to tackle some paperwork. As SOLDIER's second-in-command, he was given the duty of assessing cadet and SOLDIER progress reports amongst other duties. He had a meeting with Director Lazard in a week's time and he wasn't even close to finishing assessing the new cadet's materia proficiency results. Genesis nearly growled in frustration, his previous good mood slowly dissipating in a matter of seconds. It was at times like these where he just wished people could all be born with talent, much like himself, Angeal and Sephiroth.

Genesis' eyes flashed at the thought of his frenemy. Everyone loved Sephiroth, adored him as their hero. He'd always be around to save the day. His fan club was even full of intelligent, beautiful- and most importantly- rational women _who did not succumb to their hormone-fuelled sexual fantasies_. Oh yes, General Sephiroth got all the luck.

_*Ping!*_

Genesis cringed at the obnoxious noise the elevator made as it stopped on Level 49.

'Of course,' Genesis thought to himself, 'With my luck, Sephiroth's going to get on and exude his heroic heroism all over this elevator. Just what I need…'

Opening his eyes as the elevator doors opened, he glared at the revealed figure. When the doors opened fully, he nearly rolled his eyes at the sight that greeted him. It was quite pathetic really.

A young woman wearing a lab coat stood before him, struggling to carry around five thick folders full of what Genesis presumed to be data from the Training Room simulations. Letting out a soft grunt of discomfort, the woman forcefully smashed the button for Level 67, falling against the control panel and resultantly pressing a few other buttons. The auburn-haired SOLDIER fought the urge to tell the young scientist to get the hell out of his elevator, but decided against it simply because it seemed as if she hadn't noticed him.

Genesis studied her, for lack of anything else to do. She was of average height for a woman, the crown of her head most likely reaching up to his shoulders. His gaze flicked down to her shoes and he suppressed the urge to sigh at her plain tastes. She wore standard-issue lace-up leather shoes on her feet. His eyes flickered back up to her head and he noted that her hair resembled the colour of dark chocolate. She wore it pinned up and away from her face, though wisps of dark-chocolate waves framed her pale face. She wore green-rimmed glasses and had long eyelashes, but he couldn't see the colour of her eyes. Her nose was small and… flushed red like her face after her struggles with the control panel and folders in her clutches.

As a man with a healthy appreciation for fashion (and the female body), Genesis couldn't help but be severely disappointed to the point of physical pain as he took in the young scientist's outfit. She wore a plain, loose-fitting sky-blue blouse under her rolled up lab coat and baggy black slacks on her legs. There was nothing remotely appealing about her. The SOLDIER shook his head, turning away from the woman as he finished his silent appraisal of her. She was the typical Science Department lab rat- completely unappealing, awkward and not even remotely alluring.

'What a complete waste of time,' Genesis thought to himself as he closed his eyes once more. 'Thinking of which… it sure is taking a long time to reach Level 50…'

_*Ping!*_

Genesis nearly jumped, startled by the noise. Rolling his shoulders to soothe his stiff muscles, he looked up at the electronic level display and immediately glared at the back of the scientist's dark-chocolate head. She stumbled out of the elevator ungracefully, and proceeded to clumsily trip her way towards one of the labs no doubt. The elevator doors closed shut as Genesis seethed in the small compartment.

"That clumsy little bitch!" Genesis growled lowly as he jabbed the button for Level 50, glaring up at the display as the numbers descended down to his desired level. When she fell on the control panel, she must have pressed the button for Genesis' floor, cancelling the stop out completely.

Judging by the steam emanating from the pyromaniac's gloved hand, he was not impressed in the least. His good mood was well and truly long gone.

He growled as he remembered the pile of mind-numbing paper work on his desk, just waiting to be completed.

Oh, Genesis Rhapsodos was _not_ a happy man.

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**Note/Fun Facts: **This version of the Prologue is the edited version- only minor changes have been made so don't stress! Please do let me know if there are other things that you feel need to be improved upon- I'm more than happy to take some helpful criticism into stride! :) Hope you enjoyed the beginning of Like a Moth to Flame!


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N: _Thank you all so much for the follows, favourites and reviews! As you can probably tell, these authors notes are from the edited__ versions of the originally posted chapters, so that's why things may seem a little different (if you are indeed re-reading this fic). I have got to admit, I was a little shocked with myself as I re-read this chapter while editing... I left you readers a lot of open-ended questions to be answered and I didn't even realise! Not to worry, I have noted them all down and they WILL be addressed in later chapters :)_**

**_Hope you guys enjoy Chapter One! :D_**

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**Chapter One-**

SOLDIER Third-Class Zack Fair was not one of the young men the Commander had thought he'd be signing Second-Class authorisation papers for. It had been a week since he completed his dreaded mountain of paper work, and he was surprised to see Zack Fair's thick folder of disciplinary documentation laying on his immaculate mahogany desk. On top of the manila folder lay the aforementioned authorisation papers.

With a sigh, Genesis flipped open the folder and began to peruse its contents. Flipping past the disciplinary records- as he was well aware of the bouncy young man's legendary pranks- he thumbed the young Third-Class SOLDIER's brief preliminary profile and attentively read over it. It was hand written, in neat, cursive hand writing. With a sigh, the auburn haired Commander began to read.

_**Identification:**__ FAIR, Zachary William_

_**Age:**__ 16 _

_**Notes: **__Zachary has demonstrated exceptional competence in his physical assessments as a SOLDIER of Third-Class. He also exudes a level of self-confidence that is most becoming of a SOLDIER that can be looked upon by the public eye. His boundless enthusiasm, energy and charm will most definitely be an asset to the ShinRa militarised forces. However, I do recommend that he continues to meditate daily and maintain his adherence to the 'reflective thinking' exercises previously suggested for him in treating his impulsive behaviour. With further disciplinary training, Zachary may well be in league with the finest SOLDIERs ShinRa has to offer in a few years' time._

Genesis snorted in amusement as he re-read Zachary Fair's brief profile. Whoever compiled it obviously didn't understand the prestige of being labelled SOLDIER First-Class. The Commander's bright teal eyes focused on the signature that authorised the short psychological report.

'Maya Sinclair.' Genesis narrowed his eyes at the name, momentarily trying to figure out if he knew anyone of that name. Realising he was wasting time, he shook his head and reached for a pen and pulled Zachary's Second-Class authorisation papers towards himself before signing the corner off in a flourish.

Slipping the paper back into the thick manila folder, Genesis stood from his desk and swept out of his office, heading towards the General's office. His brows furrowed as he thought of his dear 'frenemy'. Sephiroth was not in office, and wasn't going to be until later in the evening. He was attending some charity function, donating his time to some frivolous cause in the name of ShinRa. Genesis found himself growing angry, despite knowing that Sephiroth never asked to be the poster boy for SOLDIER. Still… Genesis would have gladly taken up the younger- but more _accomplished_\- General's position in the public eye.

"_There is no hate, only joy,"_ the hot tempered man took a deep breath to calm himself as he recited a verse from his favourite literature. "_For you are beloved by the Goddess._" The heat from his gloved fingertips began to recede, leaving slight char-marks on the manila folder. Barely paying the new marks any attention, Genesis continued to Sephiroth's office, where he knew the man's new receptionist (who also doubled up as a secretary) would be slaving away on his friend's paper work in Sephiroth's stead.

Not bothering to knock, Genesis pried open the door and grunted as something- or rather _someone_\- ran into him with quite a bit of force. In his surprise, the Commander's grip faltered on the paper work he had come to deliver, the thick folder dropping to the floor as various papers escaped their confines and elegantly landed on the immaculate tiled floor.

Genesis blinked, making eye-contact with the young secretary who stood behind Sephiroth's desk looking absolutely horrified. Everyone in ShinRa knew of the auburn-haired Commander's legendary temper. It was his defining point. This aforementioned temper was always worst when the First-Class soldier was initially speechless.

Much like the scene that played out before the secretary's wide, hazel eyes.

"O-oh no…" Genesis snapped out of his surprised trance and glared down at the person who had the nerve to touch him. His eyes widened slightly in recognition as he took in the sight of a familiar, dark-chocolate head of hair. Further inspection revealed familiar green-rimmed glasses which protected wide, terrified eyes- so dark brown that they were almost black- and a dishevelled lab coat.

It was the damn lab rat again. Genesis felt his fingertips burn as he tried to hold himself in check. The pyromaniac spirit within did not agree with his rational thinking.

The woman backed away from him, clearly terrified of their proximity. In her haste, she stepped on one of the loose papers that had fallen out of the folder and slipped backwards, landing hard on her behind with a startled yelp. Genesis' eyes narrowed further as the paper now lay at the woman's feet, ripped and crumpled.

It was Zachary Fair's authorisation form.

How was he supposed to explain his need for another authorisation form to Director Lazard? Genesis growled in suppressed rage. Hearing this, the woman on the floor whimpered.

"Commander Rhapsodos, I believe we can sort this out…" Genesis shot a withering look at Sephiroth's receptionist, making her yelp in surprise and stutter something about 'getting more fish feed' in Sector 8 as she impressively ran out of the office in record time.

Genesis would have chuckled at the woman's utter fear of him if the snivelling woman at his feet hadn't infuriated him so much.

Folding his arms, he took in the scent of his red leather coat.

'Mmm. _Banora White after Dark_. I knew the development of this cologne was not a wasted investment.' He introspected before glaring downwards. The homely scent hardly did anything to calm his flaring temper. His fingertips twitched as they gathered heat. He needed to lash out, light something- or someone- on fire.

The whimpering lab rat on the floor looked like a satisfying target. Of course, Genesis would never attack a woman for mere satisfaction.

'No,' he thought to himself, tilting his head to the side as he pondered his options, 'I want to watch her squirm…'

"—isn't even here…" Genesis narrowed his eyes at the figure at his feet, belatedly realising that she was speaking.

"I _despise_ you." Genesis spat, internally frowning at how juvenile his tone had come out. Despite this, the young scientist clamped her mouth shut, her dark eyes watering slightly.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I just came in to drop off some papers, then I saw Olivia in here. I thought that was strange because the General told me someone called 'Erin' would accept the papers from me, but then she wasn't here. I guess she was his _old_ secretary. So I just stood around for a little while, I don't even know why, but then I saw an envelope addressed to the General on his desk and now I didn't know if I should have just picked it up and disposed of it or if I should have just left it there and let Olivia lose her job. I know it's a confession of love to him but… he is quite anti-social, and Olivia seems like an emotional person and _oh my gosh_\- I think I'm having a panic attack! I need to breathe!" Genesis raised his eyebrows at the woman speaking a mile a minute, who was still on the floor. Her eyes were glazed over, unfocused, as she started to hiccup violently.

The Commander belatedly realised that his anger had turned into a sick, twisted amusement. The woman was entertaining, in a way that confused and unsettled him greatly. Ignoring an odd and unexpected urge to smile at the lab-rat, Genesis shook his head incredulously before turning his gaze back to the woman on the floor. Distributing his weight onto his right leg, he stood in a relaxed position, observing the scientist as she attempted to count loudly.

"One… two… three… oh Goddess! I'm dying, I'm dying!" The woman counted deliriously before him, grasping at her throat in a panic. Genesis rolled his eyes at her dramatics. She was surely pretending to be ill, just so he would leave her alone.

"Stop that!" Genesis barked. "Who are you and why do you insist on terrorising me?" The woman gasped as she clutched her hands to her chest. Genesis noted that she was wearing a loose-fitting, pink blouse. His eyes caught sight of her name tag.

'Maya Sinclair…'

"You're the new company psychologist." Genesis stated, a sneer on his lips.

Maya's eyes watered as broke out into a nervous sweat.

"Help me… I can't breathe," Maya struggled to choke auburn-headed man rolled his eyes and fixed a glare on her.

"Are you playing mind games with me? Am I some kind of experiment to you?" Maya shook her head, her eyes drooping shut. Genesis sighed, agitated at her horrible attempt at acting out a panic attack. He lost his patience with her, finally dropping to his knee and pulling her forward roughly by her collar.

"I already told you to stop that," Genesis snapped at her. Maya's body began to pull away as her head lolled backwards, her eyes rolling up to the back of her head. The Commander growled and moved his hot, gloved hands to her neck, succumbing to the need to strangle the woman who infuriated him simply by being in his presence.

He knew he was being irrational, he knew he'd be in a lot of trouble with ShinRa executives if he injured what he understood to be one of their only psychologists. Still… his legendary temper was no myth.

Teeth bared, almost feral in nature, Genesis' hand enclosed her slender, pale neck.

But before he had time to squeeze, he heard a familiar voice gasp, alarmed. Whipping himself around, Genesis came face to face with none other than Angeal Hewley.

"Get her to the infirmary- _NOW_!" Genesis scoffed, but his demeanour had none of the bravado he usually displayed. He knew what was coming for him… a dreaded lecture about honour, dreams, pride- and another recommendation to see the company shrink.

The woman he'd just tried to kill in his irrational rage. How ironic…

"She's only pretend—"

"She has an anxiety disorder," Angeal swept forward and checked Maya for a pulse. It was feint, but it was there. "You never were good at first-aid." Genesis' eyes widened- the misinterpretation was very welcome at this point of time. Anything to get out of hearing another lecture.

Genesis regarded his kind-hearted friend with something akin to adoration and pity.

The man could never presume the worst, and that trait was his biggest strength and weakness.

"Yeah, you're right." Genesis' eyes flickered to the now ghostly face of Maya Sinclair. He looked back down at her name-tag as Angeal lifted her into his bulky arms and quickly made off for the infirmary.

Her lab coat fell away from her front as she was lifted, revealing her title.

"Dr. Maya Sinclair… how on Gaia did _she_ manage to qualify as a doctor?" Genesis mused out loud as he watched the two figures disappear behind the corner of the hall. He shook his head and stared at his hand, which had been enclosed around the woman's throat mere moments ago.

"Why the hell do I get so mad around her? She's nothing…" His mako-enhanced eyes then flicked over to where she'd passed out as she hyperventilated.

"And how was I supposed to know she had an anxiety disorder?!" He exclaimed into the empty office. Breathing heavily, Genesis felt the uncomfortable feeling of guilt begin to ebb into his mind.

Sighing, Genesis collected himself and bent down to snatch his paper work off the floor. Not bothering to re-arrange it for Sephiroth's convenience, he threw them onto the General's desk, smirking deviously as he imagined the silver-haired man develop a headache as he sorted through the papers to restore order to his immaculately organised world.

Gliding out into the hallway, Genesis' lips formed an impish grin at the thought of a peeved Sephiroth.

At least something good came out of the whole dramatic ordeal.

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**Note/ Fun Facts: **The original chapter one lacked detail about Maya and Genesis' thought process during their confrontation, so I made some minor tweaks to the altercation BUT all the major events, dialogue and facts remain the same! :) Again, let me know if there is something that needs works so that I can go back and fix it up! :D Thanks all!


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N: _Another edited chapter! This one only had to be edited for consistency- the embarrassing mistake has now been fixed and now everyone can get on with reading the better quality writing! I have to admit, the story really started to move along after chapter two and it's really awesome to re-read this stuff and see how I improved my writing style as I continued to update! :D_**

**_I hope you all enjoy this chapter!_**

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**Chapter Two-**

"Where is she, yo? She's always freakin' out over nothin'!" Genesis rolled his eyes as he sat on an uncomfortable waiting room chair beside his best friend. He watched a young man- dressed sloppily in a tell-tale dark blue suit- dash towards the infirmary's receptionist. To the receptionists' credit, she only jumped slightly before glaring at the unnatural red head on the other side of her desk.

"She's receiving treatment Renaldo. Now please take a seat before I report you to the relevant authorities." Genesis watched this 'Renaldo' character scowl at the petite, bespectacled lady who merely returned to filing what Genesis presumed were patient reports.

"That's _Reno_ to you, four eyes." Without looking up, the receptionist grabbed the phone receiver on her desk and let her finger hover over the speed-dial button, sending the Turk-in-training a challenging glare. Reno groaned in frustration and crossed his arms in front of his chest, tapping his foot on the linoleum floor in a display of impatience as he wisely kept his mouth shut- preventing any further complications involving the ShinRa higher-ups.

Angeal nudged Genesis at this moment, drawing the auburn Commander's attention away from the hostile exchange taking place at the receptionist's desk. He held back a scowl of dissatisfaction and turned to Angeal.

"Hm?"

"That's Renaldo Sinclair, Maya's younger brother- he's in the Department of Administrative Research's trainee program. He prefers to be called _Reno_ though," Genesis narrowed his eyes at his calm best friend, leaning towards him in an attempt to intimidate the larger man.

"You know an awful lot about the lab rat's family. If you didn't always go on about pride and honour, I would suspect you were stalking the poor excuse of a woman." Angeal glared at Genesis as the red Commander returned to his lax seated position and began to inspect his leather gloved hands. "I have to say though, you could do better…"

Angeal sighed and pinched the top of his nose.

"Why did I even bring you here?" He murmured lowly, massaging his temples as he sat hunched over his own lap. Genesis raised an eyebrow at this.

"You're the one who dragged me here. I was happily making my way to the Training Room, but then you insisted I come along to see your mentally unstable friend." Shooting his oldest friend a sharp glare, Angeal straightened his posture.

"First of all, you need to apologise to Maya. Secondly, you know you're not allowed in the Training Room without authorised supervision," Genesis scowled at this reminder. It wasn't his fault he literally fried the circuitry in the Training Room with his magical prowess! The blame wasn't entirely his anyhow, that Ice Elemental simulation should have cast a Blizzaga to block his Fira spell.

Genesis clenched his fist at the simulation's idiocy, despite the rational parts of his mind telling him that simulations didn't have the ability to think.

"And finally, Maya is not mentally unstable! It is extremely rude of you to say so Genesis. You should be ashamed of yourself." Angeal concluded. Genesis nodded absently, still fuming over his reduced Training Room privileges. Ever since that day, Director Lazard had ruled that Genesis was only allowed to enter the Training Room in the company of either Angeal Hewley or the great General Sephiroth.

Genesis' fist tremble with contained rage.

He wanted to light something on fire.

"Do try to control yourself, Genesis. We're in the infirmary- there are enough injured people around." Genesis shot his friend an incredulous look.

"How did you-?"

"Just be quiet." The Commander huffed at Angeal's abrupt answer and slumped further down in his chair, reaching into his coat and pulling out his beloved copy of Loveless. His rage dampened into a soft pulse of annoyance. This emotion was manageable. Genesis sighed, content with the sterile, quiet surrounding afforded to him. He could always count on the literary genius of Loveless to get him through harsh times—

"Yo! That's a sweet copy of Loveless you got there! I'm sure Maya would love to read it while she recovers from her spazz attack." Reno pried Genesis' beloved book from the Commander's slack grip before waltzing off towards the now open emergency treatment room. Genesis' jaw dropped in shock as he registered the emptiness in his hands. Noticing this, Angeal cleared his throat and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Calm yourself." Genesis shook his head.

"He took it. And he _smiled_." Genesis grit his teeth.

"He didn't know." Angeal tried to reason with his hot tempered friend.

"I don't care. I'll kill that insolent brat!" With that declaration, Genesis immediately jumped up from his seat and stormed into the emergency treatment room.

* * *

Angeal trailed after him, sighing tiredly.

As the calm, muscular man entered the sterile room, his line of sight was met with two rows of beds. Maya was laid down to recover from her anxiety attack on the right hand side of the room. Reno hovered over her with Genesis' copy of Loveless, frowning in concern as she grasped it weakly in her hands and inclined her head in a thankful gesture.

"Yeah sure, just grab for the damn book. I wasn't worried or anything." Reno muttered as he relinquished his grasp on the book. Angeal spared a concerned glance at Genesis and winced at the murderous expression fixed on the Commander's usually elegant face.

"Sorry," the chocolate haired woman smiled weakly, thumbing the pages of the problematic literature. "I'm fine now." Angeal couldn't help but smile at the scientist's blunt answer.

Dr. Maya Sinclair was a strange woman with an obsession for understanding the human mind. Kind hearted and weak-willed, she was the poster child for serious mental illnesses. Angeal could still remember the first time he'd met the young scientist. She was just starting out, tripping over her own two feet as she failed to explain the importance of her scientific goals. Angeal had been up in the labs with Hollander getting a regular check-up when he witnessed the pathetic interaction between the senior scientist and the rookie. Professor Hojo merely cackled in her upset face before shoving her into the Science Department's store room. Taking pity, the muscular man spent an extra few minutes in the Science Department looking for a spare chair and table the distraught woman could use to work on her projects.

Angeal liked to think of himself as one of Maya's very small collection of friends.

Which was why he had so adamantly intercepted and dragged the auburn Commander with him to the Infirmary. He thought that Genesis and Maya could become friends after he caught his temperamental companion attempting to aid her through her attack…

Angeal's eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as he thought back to the scene in Sephiroth's office. He'd just been checking to see if the Silver General had made it back from whatever event he'd been forced to attend that day when he found Genesis hovering over a pale and clammy Maya.

At first he had dismissed Genesis' choke hold as a poor attempt at checking for the young woman's pulse, but after watching Genesis' temper tantrums reach new peaks in the waiting room, he wasn't so sure anymore.

The raven haired First Class folded his arms and turned his gaze back to Maya's dark brown eyes which now regarded him with warm familiarity. She nodded in greeting, a tight lipped smile stretching across her face. Angeal sighed softly before lifting his hand in greeting, returning her smile with one of his own.

It was a curious situation indeed.

* * *

Genesis growled as he watched the lab rat paw at his beloved book with her pudgy fingers. His enhanced mako eyes were put to good use, spying uneven broken nails decorating her fingertips.

'Has this insufferable woman even heard of a manicure?' He thought to himself as he took a step closer to the Sinclair siblings.

Reno had pulled up a chair from somewhere in the room (Genesis did not know where, he'd been too blinded by his own rage to even process the events playing out before him) and was now sitting beside his sister, slouching impossibly in his seat with a bored expression fixed on his face.

Genesis was not impressed.

His gaze flickered over to the lab rat and he stilled as he watched her open up Loveless and begin to read the eloquent literature through an unrefined, scientific discourse.

'She wouldn't even know how to properly worship the masterpiece that is Loveless!' Genesis' mind screamed as he continued to slowly make his way to the foot of the infuriating woman's bed.

"Enjoying yourself?" Genesis seethed out loud. Maya nodded absent-mindedly as she read, her small nose literally buried in his book. The nerve of the woman…

"I think I like this book." Genesis snorted at her unremarkable comment. Of course she would like it- anyone with a brain _loved_ Loveless.

Reno straightened up in his seat as he saw Genesis approach. Raising his eyebrows at the crimson SOLDIER, the Turk in training regarded him with unerring curiosity.

"So, dude, how do you know Maya? You one of her patients?" Genesis could have sworn the throbbing vein in his temple ruptured at the outrageous red-head's insinuation.

"Do I _look_ like I belong in a looney bin?"

"Genesis!" Angeal reprimanded. Rolling his eyes, Genesis ignored his friend and glared at contemplating Reno.

"Well… actually, you do have problems with controlling your temper, yo. Who are you again?" It took the Commander almost all of his willpower to refrain from turning the young man before him into a pile of slum-flavoured ashes.

"SOLDIER First Class, Commander Genesis Rhapsodos." Angeal's smooth voice answered for him.

At that moment, Maya jumped in her bed, dropping Genesis' book unceremoniously into her lap as she lifted her terrified eyes to openly gape at the auburn haired man standing at the edge of her bed.

'She's obviously a little slow on the uptake…' Genesis mused as he glared directly into her dark eyes. He was filled with a sick sense of satisfaction as she flinched and turned her gaze to her brother's blue-clad knees.

The heart monitor Maya was hooked up to beeped loudly as her heart rate accelerated. Reno jumped out of his seat in alarm, reaching for Maya's left hand as Angeal rushed over to gently pat her right.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, sis! Don't go spazzing out again!"

"You're safe here, no one's going to hurt you."

"Are you serious? That's all it takes to induce a panic attack? How are you even alive right now?" At Genesis' mocking questions, both Reno and Angeal glared briefly in his general direction before turning back to the hysterical scientist.

In all the confusion, no one noticed the addition of a hyper-active SOLDIER Third Class to the emergency assistance party around Dr. Maya Sinclair's infirmary cot.

"OH MY GODDESS! DR. MAYA'S DYING! QUICK, CALL A PSYCHOLOGIST- THEY'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO!" Genesis winced in annoyance at the Third Class SOLDIER's shrill yelling. Taking a moment to study the young man's appearance, Genesis' eyes widened in recognition.

"Fair, you will either shut your trap or risk being a Third Class for all of your time at ShinRa Electric Company!" Genesis hollered over all the noise.

Zack Fair immediately shut his mouth and turned bright, sky blue eyes to the red Commander. He tilted his head in curiosity, lifting a finger to his lips as he pondered.

"Uh, who are you?" Genesis could no longer refrain from screaming in rage-filled agony. Why did no one know who he was?!

But before he could scream out his name and title for the whole world to know, a soft voice beat him to the chase.

"SOLDIER First Class, Genesis Rhapsodos… the Crimson Commander." Genesis took a deep breath and turned to the shaking woman on the cot. Her eyes were wide with fear, her pale finger pointing shakily at his face. Genesis did not like where this was going…

"What about him, Maya?" Angeal urged gently. Zack nodded along, casting glances of worship at Angeal. Genesis raised his eyes at this, amused despite the situation.

'Looks like someone's got a fan boy…'

"He attacked me." Her soft voice wavered as she spoke. Angeal's face wore a look of revelation whilst Reno's _rage face_ looked as if it could rival Genesis'.

Zack gaped between Maya and Genesis.

"But doc… that's _so mean_!"

Genesis sighed, realising that the ugly truth was bound to come out sooner or later. He might as well of affirmed the fact in style.

"_Pride is lost, Wings stripped away… the end is nigh_." Reno and Zack merely blinked, one in pure rage and the other in utter confusion. Only Angeal shook his head, an incredulous look flittering over his usually stern features.

"You're kidding Genesis. Do you seriously have a quote for every situation?" Genesis shrugged, avoiding eye contact as the shame of attacking a defenceless, mentally unstable woman took its toll.

"I suppose I do." Reno growled at Genesis' apathetic tone.

"That's it, you're gonna get a taste of Turk lovin, slick!" The Commander snorted at this.

"Oh really? I'm dying to experience that shit." Zack gasped at Genesis' use of crude language.

"Commander Rhapsodos!" The Third Class reprimanded from his spot at the head of his psychologists' bed.

Genesis' eyes flicked to a now tired, but still terrified looking Maya.

"Don't be so rash Reno, he brought me a gift after all…" Genesis' eyes widened as his gaze flickered over the book which was now in the lab rat's grasp once again. Maya took a deep breath and bravely made eye contact, a grimace set on her lips as she spoke. "All is forgiven… no hard feelings, okay?"

"If only it were that easy, you book thief!" Genesis snapped moodily. Maya flinched away, glancing down at the copy of Loveless in her hands. Angeal sighed and rubbed his scared friend's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"Don't worry, he's just joking Maya." Genesis shot Angeal a betrayed look.

"You know damn well I'm not!" Angeal merely chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck as he made his way over to Genesis. Grabbing his coat clad arm, Angeal began tugging a livid Genesis out of the Infirmary.

"Oh, he's got such a great sense of humour! Enjoy the book Maya, get well soon!" And with that, Angeal hauled Genesis out of the infirmary, wrestling the passionate man further away from his precious book of poetry, all the while guffawing about his old friend's great sense of humour over Genesis' loud, rude protests until the two were both out of earshot.

Meanwhile Reno, Zack and Maya remained stationary in the Infirmary, listening to the voices fade into nothing.

"Man… Commander Rhapsodos definitely needs your help, doc." Zack commented loudly. Reno sharply focused his attention on the raven haired Third Class.

"And who the frick are you?" Zack grinned and held his gloved hand out in greeting.

"The name's Zack Fair, SOLDIER Third Class!" A look of recognition washed over the red-head's face. Turning to his older sister, he tilted his head in question.

"The puppy?"

Maya nodded, a genuine smile forming on her lips as she nodded at the scandalised man to her right.

"The puppy."

Zack moaned in disdain.

"That's so not cool Doc!"

* * *

**Note/ Fun Facts:** I introduced Zack here simply because everything was getting so tense in the Infirmary- so I apologise for the randomness! Nevertheless, Zack plays an important part in this fic so he would have been introduced sooner or later ;) I hope you all liked Angeal's character as I haven't really written his character much but I have got to say- I am happy with how he turned out! Genesis is... a diva as always, and I want to continue portraying him in such a light HAHAHAHAHA! As always, let me know if I missed anything or if you'd like anything else explained in more detail! :) Thanks all!


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N: _Hi readers! :) I finished exams! WOO! It took me a while to write this, merely because I kept on typing up scenes which were to happen in later chapters of the story. But it's finally done and you great followers/favouriters/reviewers can enjoy another bizarre chapter from Turk 4 Life LOL! Hope you enjoy it!_**

**Edited: 12/02/2015  
**

* * *

**Chapter Three-**

Genesis glared at the piece of fancy stationery he held in his gloved hand, feeling immensely betrayed by the Goddess herself. In his hand he grasped an official ShinRa Electric Company invitation to the promotion ceremony of both Zachary William Fair and Renaldo Caleb Sinclair. A month after the 'Loveless' theft, Reno and Zack had been worked to the bone, leaving the Company Initiatives Department no time to throw the obligatory promotion drink up for Zack's promotion to SOLDIER Second-class. Subsequently, in that month, Reno had managed to graduate from his intensive Turk-cadet training.

Genesis had to resist the urge to set the invitation on fire.

Renaldo Sinclair was now a Turk, which meant that the slums kid would inevitably end up accompanying the Crimson Commander on missions requiring the stealth and strategic mind of a trained assassin.

Honestly, it wasn't that Genesis was mad _at_ Reno- he was just mad at the fact that Reno was the _perfect_ Turk and he was _Maya Sinclair's baby brother_.

Reno was innocent in all of this.

It was that Loveless-stealing Maya who deserved his wrath.

Genesis grinned sadistically, his gloves smoking as the tell-tale heat gathered into the centres of his palms. He wanted his release. He wanted to set something on fire.

His eyes caught sight of the stacked reports he was yet to get through, and without much thought for repercussions, he hurled a full-powered Firaga at the pile.

Satisfied with the massive combustion happening in the middle of his office, he didn't notice his dear friend Angeal run into his office looking absolutely horrified.

"Genesis, what have you done?!" Angeal spluttered in a panic, summoning a weak Blizzard spell to contain the fire that was now spreading around the Commander's office. Genesis merely looked up to his childhood friend through the searing flames and shrugged carelessly.

"It was a necessary evil." Angeal groaned in frustration, hurling a higher powered Blizzara at the fire, in the hopes he could neutralize the danger before the fire could do any more damage.

"Necessary evil, my foot! You could have destroyed the whole floor!" Angeal bellowed as the fire began to yield to the ice spells. Genesis bashfully scratched the back of his head. Angeal never yelled at anyone. But when he did… that's when you knew you were in deep trouble.

Genesis pondered telling Angeal the truth, but then shot the idea down quickly. It would sound too juvenile.

'Oh, I set my office on fire because Reno and Zack get a party and by extension Maya gets a party and she is not deserving of any fun. And I didn't want to do my paper work.' Genesis frowned, shaking his head and pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. That would not sound great at all.

Instead, Genesis channelled his own Ice magic and helped Angeal, quite redundantly as the younger man had pretty much taken care of the fire himself, putting the furnace out. Glaring, the younger Banoran stepped forward and grabbed Genesis' wrist in a death grip, pulling the scowling (yet one could argue Genesis was actually _pouting_ in reality) Commander out of his office and towards Director Lazard's office.

The elderly male receptionist nodded, eying Genesis knowingly as the auburn haired man was dragged unceremoniously into his superior's office.

The Director of SOLDIER sat behind his desk, a strained smile worn on his chapped lips. His handsome features were sunken in, surely from fatigue and the stresses of the job. Nodding at Genesis, he acknowledged the Crimson Commander's arrival before he turned back to his conversation with the Silver General, who was leaning up against the wall adjacent to Lazard's desk. Genesis flicked Sephiroth a lazy salute of acknowledgement before slumping into a chair. Angeal rolled his eyes at his misdemeanour and smartly saluted his General. Sephiroth nodded at both of his good friends, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips as he turned back to the Director.

"You are expected to be at the celebrations General." Genesis raised his eyebrows at this.

"Afraid of a little social gathering Sephiroth?" Genesis mocked playfully. Sephiroth frowned, but didn't reply.

Lazard took this as an opportunity to continue.

"There will be many young cadets present at the event. It would be a great opportunity to raise morale." Sephiroth merely grunted, not impressed with Lazard's reasoning. It was understandable too- Sephiroth absolutely _hated_ company gatherings. And it wasn't because of his introverted nature. Rather, it had everything to do with the fact that the cadets were usually embarrassing themselves in front of Sephiroth to the point that even the Silver General's ears would heat up in shame.

Genesis revelled in these moments. Which was why he decided to help the Director coerce the younger man into attending the company function.

"I, myself, plan to take full advantage of the free alcohol- the Goddess only knows how long it has been since I was able to get drunk. Why don't you join me?" Genesis offered, flicking his head to the side to sweep away the auburn bangs ticking his eyelids. Sephiroth let out a rather unflattering snort at that remark.

"You don't remember what happened last time?" Angeal groaned at the reminder, shooting a warning glance at his childhood friend. Genesis merely shrugged slightly before replying to Sephiroth.

"As a matter of fact, I don't. That is why I plan to do it again." Smirking, Sephiroth raised his eyebrows at the Crimson Commander before turning to the exasperated Director.

"I'll be there." With that said, Sephiroth nodded his farewells and swept out of the room, his hair and leather coat trailing majestically behind him. Genesis scoffed at the sight.

'Even his hair has a God-complex.'

Meanwhile, Director Lazard cleared his throat, straightening his back up and leaning forward on his desk. A small smile of victory was etched on his tired face.

"That went better than expected. Thank you Genesis," Angeal shot Lazard a meaningful look, causing the Director to gasp in acknowledgement. "Oh yes! You're only allowed to have three standard drinks on the night." Hearing this rather abrupt statement, Genesis stood up abruptly, his eyes set on his superior in a cold glare.

"Three drinks? Director, that's absurd." Angeal stepped up beside Genesis and patted his friend's shoulder.

"It's precautionary. Your temper is already so unstable when you're sober. Going by what happened last time with Heidegger at President ShinRa's birthday function, we didn't want to take any chances." Genesis seethed at his friend's nonchalant explanation. However, he reigned back his temper before he spoke, knowing that if he acted out, he would just be perpetuating their schema on his less than desirable temperament.

So Genesis took a deep breath and smiled, although the expression did end up resembling a grimace.

"Fine then, whatever you say," he chuckled lightly before brushing his hair out of his line of vision once again. "Heidegger is the least of my problems these days, anyway." The Director perked up at this admission.

"That's right, I heard you're having trouble with one of the scientists," Genesis averted his gaze, staring up at the large screen situated behind Lazard's desk. He wasn't in the mood to talk about the Loveless thief.

"It's fine. There's no trouble." Angeal grunted with effort as he fought to hold back a bewildered laugh.

"You set your office on fire just because you didn't want to do the paperwork Maya needed you to complete for the cadet evaluations at the end of this month." The Crimson Commander's eyes widened in surprise.

"So that's what they were…" Lazard shot the young man a tired look.

"You have a problem with Maya Sinclair? She's harmless." Lazard deadpanned. Genesis merely scoffed and crossed his legs, leaning back in his seat with his eyebrows raised.

"She stole my Loveless." The burly man standing beside him sighed heavily at this.

"You're _still_ sore about that? I told you I'd buy you a new copy!" Genesis snapped his head to his right to face his friend, a harsh glare fixing his dear friend in place… or at least he liked to think his glare instilled fear in Angeal.

"Where is this fabled copy of Loveless you promised me nearly four weeks ago?" Genesis hissed through bared teeth. Angeal rolled his eyes at his friend's dramatics and turned back to his superior.

"Director, his office," Angeal gently reminded the man. Nodding, Lazard turned a stern glare over to Genesis.

"Commander, you must really learn to reign in that temper of yours—"

"What do you think I'm doing right now?" Genesis cut him off. You could practically see the smoke rising from the man's red ears.

"—yes, this is exactly my point. Commander Rhapsodos, until we fix your office up for you and replace the damaged property, you will be residing in a spare office of _my_ choosing. No questions asked." Genesis rolled his eyes, but nodded.

If he was lucky, he'd get Rufus ShinRa's office! That would show Sephiroth that anger and mayhem did indeed take a man far in life! Genesis grinned at the thought, inciting worried thoughts in the other two men's minds.

"Sure, just make sure it's matches what you'd imagine to be my preference, will you? Really, that can't be _too_ hard to do." Genesis stood from his seat, and bowed dramatically in farewell to the Director, who in turn merely nodded back tiredly. Sweeping past his exasperated friend, he exited the room- a small spring in his step.

Lazard and Angeal turned to watch the flamboyant man leave the office.

"He's a strange one." Lazard commented quietly as he turned back to this computer to resume his laborious report writing. Angeal grunted in affirmation.

"I think he'd prefer the term 'special'." Lazard snorted at this, rolling his eyes to the heavens.

"Well, he's sure going to feel special when he finds out where he'll be based for a while." Angeal grinned evilly and the insinuation.

Lazard Deusericus grinned back at his most loyal SOLDIER. Oh, they were going to have field day with Genesis in these approaching months. Averting his eyes to the screen before him, Lazard typed up a quick email to the head of the Science Department, with a stern note emphasising that his Commander was not to be used for any extra-curricular experiments (Lazard didn't want to send the poor man to his funeral) before leaning back in his chair and resting his hands behind his head.

"It has been done. Now we wait." Angeal chuckled, scratching the back of his head before turning to leave the office himself.

"Be sure to keep me posted." Lazard nodded, even though he knew Angeal couldn't see him.

"Will do."

* * *

Maya bit her uneven fingernails as she waited outside Professor Hojo's office. She's been summoned by the eccentric scientist mere minutes ago and she was absolutely terrified.

'Is he going to ask about the cadet reports? I don't even know if Commander Rhapsodos has taken a look at them yet… Oh goodness, I'm going to lose my job! I've only been here for three months! I'll be back in the slums before I know it. I will be a burden to Reno, _again_. No, that can't happen! It won't happen! I just have to walk into that room and be confident and tell the Professor that I've run into some unexpected delays and that he'll get the reports shortly! That means I'm not going to get _any_ sleep this week.'

Maya mused quietly to herself, her hands shaking as her nerves got the best of her. Just as she began to engage in her breathing exercises, the automated door of her superior's office whizzed open, inciting a high pitched yelp from her.

Covering her mouth up quickly in embarrassment, Maya stood up and clumsily scuffled into the disorganised office, bowing as she came face to face with her employer.

"Ah, Yaya- how is your research going?" Professor Hojo asked, his tone completely void of any interest. Maya frowned slightly at the lack of recognition, and opened her mouth to correct the man. However, he merely continued on speaking. "That's expected, you wouldn't be wasting my space in the Science Department if the company didn't require a psychologist to be soothing the minds of weak specimens." Maya's gulped nervously at his bold statement. Not that it was anything out of the norm. Professor Hojo was very vocal about his distaste for Maya Sinclair and her pathetic excuse of a scientific vision that entailed psychological processes of the animal (and as an extension- human) mind.

"It's Maya, Professor." Hojo furrowed his eyebrows at her quiet statement.

"Excuse me? Speak up girl!" Maya whimpered, sliding down in her seat.

"My name… it is Maya. Not Yaya." Hojo stared at the young woman sitting before him with cold, beady eyes before shrugging nonchalantly.

"I'm sure it is. Now, we're not here to have a chat of over tea and biscuits so stop wasting my time!" Maya nodded, taking in a shuddering breath in attempt to calm her nerves. It didn't work too well.

"What is it that you wanted to see me for, Professor?" Hojo stood up from his seat, making the nervous girl flinch violently. Hojo smirked at this and gestured to the lone white envelope sitting on his desk on top of his scattered report papers. Reaching out with a shaking hand, Maya quickly snatched the envelope into her hand, sending a few stray papers onto the floor with her action.

The professor merely rolled his eyes at the incompetency, continuing to speak.

"Genesis Rhapsodos is under the care of Professor Hollander. That is probably why he has no control over his emotions. Sephiroth however is a perfect specimen. That is why he is so amiable around you weaklings," Maya resisted the urge to smile fondly. Sephiroth had quickly turned into a good friend, due to their mutual introverted nature and dry sense of humour. The Silver General was one of the few people in the ShinRa building Maya would do anything for. However, Sephiroth had emphasised that he didn't want Hojo knowing anything about his friendship with herself. Therefore, Maya merely nodded, biting her lip nervously as the professor stared her down. "Genesis has burnt down his office in a rage, apparently, and requires an office to continue his mundane paper work." Maya took in a deep breath, not liking where the conversation was going.

"What does this… have to do with me, Professor?" Hojo grinned evilly.

"I heard that you are his 'trigger point'- as you psychologists call it. Therefore, I believe it would be therapeutic for you and Hollander's failure to spend time together," Maya's grip on the tails of her over-sized lab coat tightened violently. Her knuckles turned white and her face paled as her mind began to process what the Professor's words meant.

But she had to ask, just to make sure…

"Professor, I'm not sure I understand you." Hojo snarled, clearly getting annoyed.

"Of course you don't. Your inferior mind doesn't have the capacity to comprehend my genius!" Maya averted her gaze, slightly hurt by the man's words. Seeing this, Hojo continued. "I want you to clear a space for the Commander in your work space, ready for early tomorrow morning. Think of it as a social experiment." The cruel professor chuckled at the doctor, who remained seated, petrified.

"I… can't… please Professor!" Maya pleaded shamefully, her head bowed. Hojo laughed loudly at this.

"Oh dear, is Dr. Sinclair _scared_?" his facial expression turned into a deep, disgusted scowl. "You're pathetic." He spat, gesturing at the door. "Leave my sight at once, and remember to take that envelope with you, you incompetent wench!" Maya bolted up, nodding silently as a knot formed in her throat. Clumsily scampering out of Professor Hojo's office, she ran down the winding halls before she turned into her small, cluttered office. Slamming the door shut, Dr. Maya Sinclair immediately fell to her knees and let out a loud sob, fueled by panic, fear for the man who was to arrive, and restrained hatred for the man she had just escaped.

'If only… I were stronger.'

* * *

**Note/Fun Facts:** Please let me know if there are any typos! Also, I made a mistake last chapter and described Maya as Reno's younger sister BUT she's supposed to be older than him :O SORRY! Also, this chapter originally stated Genesis would only be staying in Maya's office for a MONTH but... that obviously changed xD Thanks all! :)

**12/02/2015:  
****The continuity errors have been fixed and some minor details have been added to the chapter so that future events make more sense.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N: _Gawd, I am so sorry for the delay! At first I was just procrastinating because I didn't know how to have Maya and Genesis react to sharing the same office type thing for an indefinite amount of time. Then when I realised what I wanted to do, I found that I had waaaaay too many ideas- so I had to summarise them all and then try to make it work in a story whilst keeping Genesis angry at the world and Maya and Maya all anxious, yet show that she did have a back bone (even if it is a little unstable). I hope everyone enjoys the chapter and a special thanks to Keep Calm and Be Ninja, Guest and Womble619 for their humbling (and ego boosting) reviews! :) As a sorry/reward to all you lovely readers (and followers and favouriters and everyone else who clicks on this story!), I wrote an extra long chapter (for me anyways).  
_**

**_Replies:_**

**Guest:_ I am so glad you could relate to this story and how I portray the characters! Your review made me so incredibly humbled and happy! :) I hope you come back and enjoy this chapter hehe!_**

**_Now, on with the story! Enjoy!_**

**Edited: 12/02/2015  
**

* * *

**Chapter Four-**

Angeal Hewley was worried.

After having a little laugh with the SOLDIER Director about their passive-aggressive methods towards punishing Genesis for his temper tantrums, Angeal slowly came to the realisation that poor Maya would be exposed to Genesis' anger-laden outbursts with no means of protection what so ever. If Genesis was made to share an office with the anxious, fearful and soft-spoken psychologist, the next time he'd see Maya Sinclair would be in the Burns Ward.

Angeal was _extremely_ worried.

There wasn't much he could do either, with Genesis expected to move his things into Maya's 'office' within the next two hours. As the circumstances beckoned, Angeal stood vigilantly beside Maya's doorway, his arms folding and his brows furrowed as he awaited the arrival of his childhood friend. It wasn't going to be pretty, that was for sure.

A concerned look flitted over Angeal's masculine facial features as his ears registered feint whimpers being emitted from the very office he was loitering in front of. He hadn't yet signaled Maya of his presence and if all went well, she wouldn't have to know he was ever there. His purpose was to calm and contain his target, whom he affectionately dubbed 'The Raging Inferno'.

It was quite fitting, really.

Angeal shook his head, trying to block out the psychologist's pathetic whimpers as he resumed a stern expression, keeping his gaze straight, and anticipating Genesis' entrance.

* * *

"_My friend, the fates are cruel…_" Reno rolled his eyes at the Crimson Commander as he cradled a box of the SOLDIER's office supplies lazily in his arms. He didn't appreciate being placed temporarily under the command of theatrical 'Mr. Anger Management Issues', but it was either this or a routine patrol of Sector 8 and he sure as hell wasn't going to choose mindless wandering over seeing his sister. Plus, helping the SOLDIER commander with his stuff would let Reno keep an eye out for Maya in case Genesis decided to go all schizo on everyone.

"_My soul, corrupted by vengeance, hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey…_" Genesis continued to whine as he trudged through Floor 67, his arms full freshly printed papers. Reno scowled and swiped his foot at Genesis' calves in annoyance.

"Will you shut up already? You've been quoting that damn pansy poem ever since the General threw your shit at us." Reno could have sworn he had just witnessed the Commander of the ShinRa army _pout_ before the man's elegant features sneered back at him.

"You should know better than to talk about things that are beyond your comprehension, ShinRa lapdog!" Reno raised his dark brown eyebrows quizzically.

"Really man? Lapdog? That's gross. Have you _seen_ President ShinRa? Ain't none of this," Reno nodded towards his own chest, "Gonna get anywhere near that fat shit. Especially not near his lap." Reno shot a smug looking Genesis with a suspicious glance. "Don't let my heterosexuality cramp your style though- I mean- I ain't got nothin' against homos!" Genesis fumbled his papers, nearly dropping them on the floor as he walked straight into a poorly placed pot plant in the middle of the hall. Reno grinned as Genesis gaped at him like a fish out of water. After a few moments, the Crimson Commander's face turned… crimson. Reno found the rapid transformation quite interesting.

He'd tell Maya about it later.

"What on the Planet got you thinking I was _gay_ Renaldo Sinclair?!" Genesis erupted. Reno merely shrugged, continuing his way forward towards his sister's office/storage space/spare specimen cell.

"Not like I said there was anything wrong with being gay. I don't discriminate. Why, do you think it's a crime to be homosexual, Commander Rhapsodos?" Genesis opened his mouth to retort before furrowing his eyebrows in confusion and shutting his mouth. Shaking his head, he marched forward, ignoring the amused Turk's random peals of laughter.

After a few moments, Genesis whirled in Reno's direction and shook his head.

"There's nothing wrong with being gay," Reno's eyes widened at the possible implications of Genesis' statement. Noticing this, Genesis rolled his eyes. "I am merely trying to assert that I am as straight as your electro-mag rod. Un-bendable. A complete ladies' man. Men fear me, women love me. I am the definition of masculine perfection-" Reno coughed, bringing the vain Commander out of his tirade.

"Uh, no… that's General Sephiroth. So… a homosexual with dissociative personality disorder. Maya will _love_ being around you." Reno grinned at the livid man he'd left behind him as he continued walking forward. After a few moments, he heard Genesis' enraged voice cracking behind him.

"What the f**k are you talking about you blubbering Neanderthal?!" Reno chuckled and almost skipped towards the familiar looking door that stood at the end of the corridor he was walking through.

Nodding respectfully at Angeal who nodded back with a worried smile gracing his lips, Reno wrenched the door open happily only to be greeted by a hysterical scream.

* * *

Genesis unconsciously picked up his pace when he heard Maya's frightened scream, clutching tightly to the papers in his arms heading in the direction of his apparently suicidal assistant and new office mate (suicidal because no one ever dared provoke the Crimson Commander on purpose- which Reno was clearly doing). As he speed walked, Genesis pondered over the Turk's laughing words. He mentioned that insufferable scientist's name. He had hinted at spending time with the eyesore.

Genesis felt his face twitch and contort into a barely restrained expression of rage. It was like the whole world was working against him, just provoking him constantly until he engulfed the whole workplace in flames, killing all the workers including himself and that dreaded Maya in the tragic blaze.

The Commander grinned evilly at the thought. It wasn't such a bad idea… especially if it got rid of the Loveless Thief.

Lost in his violent, genocidal thoughts, Genesis barely registered Angeal's presence next to him. He only snapped to attention when Angeal roughly grasped his forearm and pulled him to a forced stop. Grimacing from the slight pain of his best friend's grip, Genesis frowned at the taller man.

"What are you doing here?" Angeal sighed, keeping a softer, yet firm grip, on the auburn haired man.

"Making sure I don't have to sign any death certificates today." Genesis rolled his eyes. And Reno thought he was theatrical… he obviously hadn't spoken to Angeal on a regular basis.

"My friend, I assure you that I am most capable of reigning in my temper," casting a glance at the predictably small room he was to share with who he believed to be his anger catalyst, Genesis turned his eyes back to an apprehensive Angeal. "However, being cooped up in a specimen containment cell -_slash_\- storeroom with an infuriating, bland, Loveless-stealing woman is not doing anything to help me." Genesis looked up expectantly at Angeal's blank face.

Seeing that Angeal wasn't about to retort to any of his statements, Genesis continued.

"I don't know what you or Lazard were thinking when you assigned me to this temporary office, or whether you were thinking at all, but I can guarantee you this: Maya Sinclair will _not_ be having a happy time while she's in my presence." Angeal's eyes widened before settling down into an intimidating glare.

"You're kidding, right? I don't think you can be that cruel- not to someone as harmless as her." Genesis shrugged, relaxing his shoulders and stepping away from his friend.

"Try me." With that statement, Genesis turned his back on his friend and walked into the office in complete confidence.

* * *

So Lazard and Angeal thought this was a fitting punishment for him? He'd just have to find a way to twist the undesirable situation into his own control then. Genesis quelled down his laughter as he spotted a wide-eyed Maya Sinclair sitting ram-rod straight behind her small, cluttered desk. Shooting a smirk in her direction, he approached her desk and threw the papers he held in his hands down onto her desk. Leaning over the cluttered desk, Genesis scowled at the infuriating woman in front of him.

He felt a rough hand on his shoulder, but shook it off harshly. He heard some sounds of vulgar protest followed by a deep, calming voice attempting to placate the first voice. Reno and Angeal respectively, Genesis thought to himself, although he hardly cared at this point of time. All he was really paying attention to was the woman sitting in front of him.

Ever since he'd met the woman, she had brought him immense bad luck. Since that meeting in the elevator, he was always angry. It was easy to get him upset, to rile him up. She'd obviously stolen his best friend from him too, judging by the way Angeal defended _her_ rather than siding with him. He was protecting that stupid, shaking, pathetic excuse of a scientist and Genesis wasn't even remotely impressed with the idea that Maya and Angeal were good friends.

In his eyes, Maya wasn't worth anything at face value. A weak, ordinary, clumsy and completely inept woman like her didn't deserve his best friend's attention. Genesis would even go as far as thinking that Maya didn't deserve to share the same surname as Reno, who despite his idiocy around ShinRa Headquarters, was an impeccable Turk.

Doctor Maya Sinclair was just not worth accommodating into one's life, according to Genesis. She had no place anywhere- it was probably sheer dumb luck she managed to land a job in ShinRa.

Genesis sneered at the scared woman in front of him.

She would learn her place.

And he would be her teacher.

* * *

Maya stared up into the Crimson Commander's glowing mako eyes and willed herself to breathe as she watched his face contort into an intimidating sneer. She knew that Reno and Angeal were somewhere in the room, but she didn't dare call out to them. She had to be brave and face Genesis by herself. She had to stand up to him and show him that she wasn't just some woman who spontaneously induced random panic attacks at every single stimuli known to man. She didn't survive this long in a world that didn't want her by sheer dumb luck, after all.

She had to play things smart. That was precisely why she had bolted to Wall Market's special bookshop in Sector 6 after she had read Professor Hojo's authorisation letter regarding Genesis' stay in her 'office' for an indefinite time period. If she was going to survive in the unpredictable and impatient man's presence, she had to suck up to him. That was precisely why she had risked wandering close to the red light district in order to find Commander Rhapsodos a limited gold-embossed edition of his beloved literature.

Surely, it took a whole chunk of money out of her savings, but she had rationalised that her live was worth much more than a few thousands of gil. And so the present was bought and planted on top of Genesis' desk.

Which he was yet to approach.

If Maya was any other woman (like Scarlet or even Sephiroth's love-struck receptionist Olivia) she would have rolled her eyes, taken Genesis' chin into her hand and turned his face towards his desk forcefully and yelled into his ear about how much of an ungrateful bastard he was. Unfortunately Maya had neither the courage nor the natural sass required to carry out the imagined actions. So instead, she merely stared silently into the angry man's eyes, finding herself analysing his long, dark eyelashes, his elegant cheek bones and his sharp, shaven jawline. Her eyes wandered to his plump, pink lips as he lashed his tongue out to moisten them. Startled by her own observations, Maya shook her head and returned her gaze back to his cold, calculating eyes.

He scoffed slightly before leaning further towards her. She gulped nervously and tried to look over Genesis' shoulder to locate where her brother and colleague was. Surely, she caught sight of a struggling red and black blur in the corner of the room. She would have sighed in relief had it not been for the fact that Genesis' face was literally three centimetres away from her own. Instead she breathed inwards and caught a whiff of his familiar scent.

She liked how he smelt. She let the pleasant aroma wash over her. Her shoulders relaxed and her stare grew more relaxed. She felt her heart rate drop to a more natural level and soon enough only her trembling fingers showed traces of anxiety. She watched as Genesis took in her plain appearance, and she felt strangely comfortable. She told herself that it was the scent of his cologne. Not him. Definitely not him. He was scary.

But his cologne was sweet and comforting.

The complete opposite of him.

Maya let out the breath she was holding in as she watched his lips move. She still couldn't hear anything though. She was too taken by his surprisingly welcoming appearance.

And then it happened.

All at once, the fear, and insecurities and the impending doom washed over her, completely overwhelming the small comfort she found in greedily inhaling Genesis' cologne. Pushing herself backwards, she desperately tried to distance herself from the imposing figure that was occupying her personal space. Reno let out a worried cry as he watched his sister topple backwards and hit her head against an old filing cabinet.

"Aaaaaack! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry! Commander Rhapsodos, I'll vacate this desk right now. You want this desk right? I'll move over there if you want! Please don't kill me!" Maya wheezed as she tried to sit up from her spot on the floor. It proved difficult as the formerly comforting scent was now suffocating her. She gasped for air, not bothering to fix her green-rimmed glasses which sat askew on her nose. Angeal started forward to help the poor woman off the floor, but the sudden movement startled Maya. This resulted in the beginning of hysterical tears. She looked up pleadingly at Genesis who lost his sadistic sneer, instead being replaced by a look of confusion.

"I don't want your desk. I want you-" Genesis began to speak, which was ultimately cut off by a high pitched wail of fear from Maya as she fell back down onto the floor, curling up into a foetal position. As Maya retreated into her secure 'happy place' she couldn't help but think just how pathetic and weak she must have looked at that moment. Shaking her head slightly, she buried her face further between her knees and rocked backwards and forward- praying that the whole encounter was just a dream.

Genesis, meanwhile, rolled his eyes at the pathetic sight.

'_She's worthless AND stupid… Goddess; why?!'_ He thought to himself as he prepared himself to finish his previously interrupted sentence. However, he was interrupted yet again by Sinclair sibling number two.

"Dude, don't be layin' moves on my sis just to prove you're not gay! I know better. Stop denying your sexual orientation and flaunt it!" Genesis groaned and rolled his eyes, clenching his fists as he desperately tried to reign in his temper. This was beyond ridiculous! No one was letting him speak.

Luckily, Angeal saw that his childhood friend was well on his way towards a complete psychotic breakdown. Quickly stepping between the two Sinclair siblings and the angry auburn haired human bomb, Angeal raised his arms between them and spoke sternly.

"Reno, let Genesis talk. Maya, you need to calm down. No one's going to hurt you. And you _don't_ need to give up your desk. Genesis… try to play nice. _Please_!" Genesis huffed and turned his nose into the air in a typical display of his 'mightier than thou' attitude before picking up where he left off.

"As I was _saying_," the Commander spoke through clenched teeth at Reno who was now sitting beside his silently sobbing sister and petting her back soothingly, "I want Maya to understand that I am a reasonable man. However, I will not tolerate idiocy in my presence. With that said, I need you to get a grip on reality and face the facts of life. No one's going to spoon feed you, no one's going to be here to take care of you or save you from my wrath. You'll just have to _deal with it_." Angeal glared at Genesis when he finished speaking. Genesis ignored his best friend and sighed at the trembling mess that was Doctor Maya Sinclair.

Reno rolled his eyes at his superior and stood up from his crouched position next to his sister.

"Dude, what the hell?" Genesis shot the Turk a confused look.

"Excuse me?" Maya sniveled loudly as she emerged from her self-made hide-y hole. Looking up at him with wide, dark eyes, Maya looked to be the poster girl for anxiety-crippled women. Genesis couldn't help but stare right into the dark warmth of her gaze.

"That… was… so mean!" She hiccupped. Genesis stepped backwards, not expecting her to speak against his words. Narrowing his eyes, he crossed his arms in front of him.

"Tough love, those are my conditions." Maya shook her head, shakily wiping her tears from her eyes. Her glasses were still askew, which quite frankly, annoyed Genesis greatly.

Reno looked between the two speakers and threw a look of disbelief at an equally gobsmacked Angeal. The two couldn't believe that Maya was actually talking back to Genesis, albeit a little on the passive side.

Still, she sat on the floor hugging her knees to her chest as she stared, somewhat defiantly, up at the Crimson Commander.

"Those aren't conditions. Those are just mean statements about my de- de- debilitating i- issues!" Genesis scoffed at this.

"So you are well aware of your idiocy. I commend you on your knowledge." He mockingly clapped as he sneered down at the teary, yet determined young woman staring up at him. However, his facial expression morphed into one of shock as she quickly got to her feet and scurried towards the empty desk set up on the other side of the cell. It was then that he noticed a gift bag with a cute cactuar wearing a party hat on it. Maya grabbed it with shaky hands and whirled around to face Genesis, her nose scrunched up in annoyance as she comically marched towards him. She would have been intimidating had it not been for her messy hair, her red eyes, the tear tracks down her pudgy cheeks and that ridiculously over-sized lab coat dwarfing her plain figure. Genesis barely registered the fact that she grabbed his uncovered wrist with her damp hands (probably from her nervous sweating) and forcefully hung the gift bag on his wrist before sticking her nose up in the air in an impressive imitation of himself before waltzing clumsily out of her own office.

A few moments after Maya had exited, Angeal decided to break the silence.

"Genesis… you idiot." Genesis blinked.

"Huh?" Reno let out a nervous chuckle.

"Damn, I've never seen her get so pissed off before. I kinda don't know what to do now…" Angeal nodded dumbly at Reno in agreement.

Genesis shook his head, in an attempt to shake off his disbelief. Looking down at the bag hanging from his wrist, he almost rolled his eyes.

If her plan of survival was to shower him with gifts and win him over, she had another thing coming. Still, he was curious, so he took a peek inside.

What he found inside turned all his negative thoughts blank. His breathing quickened as he reached into the bag and produced a _beautiful_ copy of the epic Loveless. Limited edition.

At the bottom of the bag lay a note. Carefully placing the book back in the bag, he clasped the note in his hands, in disbelief as he read the brief, yet genuine message from the infuriating woman.

'_Commander Rhapsodos,_

_I feel deep regret for tearing you away from your beloved masterpiece. However I enjoyed the literature so much, I cried on the pages! So I didn't want to give you the soiled copy. Instead, I bought you this. I hope you can make new, beautiful memories and interpretations using this copy of Loveless. _

_Kindest regards from your new office mate,_

_Maya :)'_

Genesis stared at the note, baffled. He didn't notice both Reno and Angeal had perched themselves behind each of his shoulders, reading the note themselves. Angeal grinned as he finished reading, looking at Genesis' shocked expression.

"I think… you owe Maya an apology… and a thank you." Genesis would have jumped if he wasn't so proud of his bravado. Instead, he whirled on Angeal and glared half-heartedly at him. Reno merely slapped Genesis lightly on the back before muttering about finding Maya before she got lost again.

Turning to his life-long friend, Genesis shot him what he hoped was an apathetic look despite all the immediate regret he felt for being so terrible to Maya. For thinking terrible things about her… she was trying to make him feel comfortable. Shaking the thoughts out of his mind, Genesis blinked at Angeal who was smiling at him knowingly.

"I still expect the copy of Loveless you promised me, dear friend." Angeal rolled his eyes good naturedly at his best friend, backing out of the cell/office with a small wave.

"Yeah… whatever. I've got to go find Zack before he thinks he's got a day off and does something stupid again." Stopping short of the door, Angeal whirled around and looked at Genesis seriously. "Try to at least tolerate her, okay? She's not a bad woman- just a little spooked is all." Genesis found himself nodding as he clutched into the disgustingly cute cactuar gift bag like a lifeline. It made for quite a hilarious picture.

"I'll do my best." Angeal sighed, wanting to say more, but was cut off by his generic PHS ringtone. Groaning as he checked the caller ID, he waved his final farewell before setting off in a jog, muttering about impatient puppies, cadet uniforms in the laundry room and hot sauce.

Genesis watched his friend's retreating back before realising that he was alone in his new office. He turned his head towards the papers he had placed on the lab rat's desk and shrugged, deciding to leave them there. Kicking his box of office supplied under his desk, he sat himself down and settled comfortably into his desk chair before opening his new copy of Loveless and delving his body and soul into his favourite epic.

"_When the war of the beasts bring about the world's end, the Goddess descends from the sky…_"

* * *

**Note/ Fun Facts: **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and aren't too confused by all the feels and what not HAHAHA! :) Thanks for the support all! :D *hearts*

**12/02/2015:**  
I forgot to mention this the first time around; Angeal's affectionate labeling of Genesis as 'The Raging Inferno' is actually the title of one of my old Reno fics that I posted on here AGES ago (but have since deleted due to sloppy writing). Hmm... maybe after finishing this fic I'll attempt a re-write of 'The Raging Inferno' :P


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N: _Hello readers! MERRY CHRISTMAS! :D *spreads Christmas cheer with a new chapter and all of her Christmas holiday enthusiasm!* I would briefly like to mention that this chapter explores Reno and Maya's relationship, Reno's personality, Reno's relationships with other characters in the story and also contains a bittersweet scene (at least I thought it was bitter sweet and darkly humorous) involving our main couple: Genesis and Maya WOO! Hope you all enjoy!_**

**_Thank you for the follows, favourites and thanks Womble619 for the spectacular, enthusiastic review! :) I greatly appreciate your support and as a Christmas present to you, my fanfiction friend, I dedicate this chapter to you! *hugs and spastic smiles all around* MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIEND! (Yes I saw your author's note in your latest update of Fearing the 1st! Go read it all you followers/favoriters/silent readers xD You will not regret it, I assure you!)_**

**_On with the story! :) ENJOY!_**

**Edited: 16/02/2015**_  
_

* * *

**Chapter Five-**

Reno and Maya sat side by side in the employee lounge on Level 61, munching on three day old trail mix Reno found in the back pocket of his uniform. The younger of the two watched as Maya absently stared at the huge tree awkwardly jutting out in the centre of the ShinRa Company's Employee Lounge. Clearing his throat, Reno vied for the older sibling's attention.

"_Maya_, pay attention to me! I'm trying to tell you a cool story!" Maya jumped at the sound of Reno's voice, immediately snapping her head in the red-head's direction. Taking in the stark contrast of his traffic-light red hair against his extremely pale complexion, Maya tilted her head in contemplation.

"I still don't understand why you insist on looking like your hair is being conjured up by Fire Materia." Reno pouted, pulling out an almond from the mix and throwing it at the young psychologist's round face. Maya merely blinked before breaking into an apologetic smile.

"Oh, don't be mad. I was just joking, sweetie." Patting the young man on the back to provide some semblance of comfort, her warm gaze wandered over to a swiftly approaching figure she'd detected in her peripheral vision. Shifting her gaze back to her younger brother, she shot him a worried look. Reno, being none the wiser of Maya's change in demeanour, slowly broke into a grin before he flew right back into recounting his fantastical Turk adventures.

Maya nodded absently when Reno turned his bright green eyes in her direction, staring enthusiastically at her to gauge her reaction to his recount. Maya picked up the words 'Junon', 'tomato-hat' and 'princess', but other than that- she had no idea what Reno was talking about. Still, she grinned uncertainly at her brother as he spoke. Despite being a young man eighteen years of age, Maya still found his antics extremely adorable- albeit a little troublesome to keep up with at times such as that very moment. Mentally reprimanding herself, she chanced a glance at the stern man who had finally approached sociable distance. Maya smiled up at him uncertainly as he nodded to her in greeting before levelling Reno with a withering stare.

"Reno, that's confidential information." Reno jumped, surprised by the familiar voice of the Turks' Second-in-Command. Silently looking up at his superior, Reno took in the impressively immaculate image that Tseng's suited presence offered. Being a new recruit, Reno wasn't too quick to jest at the man- much to Maya's relief. Reno gulped nervously and shot up from his seat, standing ram-rod straight and respectfully saluted his superior. Tseng shot Maya an amused look at the younger Sinclair's actions and then nodded at Reno, his face neutral again before he addressed his subordinate.

"If I wanted to be saluted at, I would have recruited a SOLDIER into the Turks. As things are, the Turks are an elite and tightly knit unit. I don't know how many times I must say this, however, I shall repeat myself once more. In this profession, we are all equals- we all have equal chances of dying out there in the field- and therefore I will assert that you treat your co-workers with equal amounts of respect." Tseng took a breath before staring into Reno's bright green eyes. "Do I make myself clear?" Reno nodded, his eyes tearing up at the intensity of his superior's stare. Maya sat on the now empty bench (other than herself), feeling awkward as she was basically wedged between two trained assassins. She nearly jumped when Reno loudly cleared his throat.

"So, you're saying that I should kinda 'even out' the current amount of respect I give to everyone in our division. Is that right?" Tseng shrugged his shoulders, in a blasé gesture.

"If that's how you understand the concept of equality, then sure." Maya gasped at this and began to flail her arms in a desperate attempt to gain Tseng's attention. The poor man had no idea what he had just unofficially authorised Reno to do! Tseng and Veld, the two head honchos of the Department of Administrative Research, commanded the whole entirety of Reno's 'politeness' and 'respect' reserves. The only reason they did so was because he was scared of the ultimate power they had over whether he continued on with his dream job. Now that Tseng had just inadvertently authorised Reno to treat everyone with 'equal amounts of respect', Maya desperately feared for Reno's current state of employment.

The red-haired young man merely grinned straight at his superior, completely unabashed, and proceeded to slump his shoulders and let his red bangs fall over his brilliant green eyes. Maya immediately thought of Christmas as she took in the contrast of her baby brother's hair and eyes. Shaking her head, she reprimanded herself for letting her mind dwell in such mundane thoughts, before she grasped Reno's hand in a tight grip from her seated position.

"Reno… show some respect," Maya nodded to Tseng, who raised a puzzled eyebrow at her. Maya chose to ignore the attention she was getting from the stern man, fearing a complete nervous breakdown was well on its way, and continued to pull of her little brother's hand. "He's your superior. You _can't_ treat him like you treat others!" Reno gazed down at his extremely worried sister-figure and proceeded to roll his eyes at her. She was being _way_ too dramatic.

"Calm your tits, sis," Maya gasped, affronted by Reno's language. Shooting the younger Sinclair a soft, reprimanded glare, the brunette sighed internally. Tseng had already done the damage. Now he had to deal with it. Reno turned to Tseng, a lazy grin planted firmly on his lips, "Boss man number two here basically just told me I can be an ass to anyone without repercussion." Maya shook her head, raising her hands and burying her face into them. Taking a deep breath, she looked straight into Tseng's stern, yet slightly confused gaze.

"You don't know what you've done…" Tseng tilted his head in question, opening his mouth to address Maya. However, he was cut off by an obnoxiously loud and cocky Reno.

"Well, smell ya's later! I've got a SOLDIER Commander to report to," Reno winked at the slowly fuming Tseng. "Since we're being all 'equal' around here, I'm gonna need you to help me out some with my paper work. I'm getting back-logged and it isn't pretty." Reno made a face. Maya proceeded to face-palm herself as Tseng glared at Reno for his clear insubordination.

"Mr. Sinclair, I don't think you understood what I said," Tseng started patiently. However, before he could continue speaking, Reno raised his hand in a dismissive wave.

"Please boss man part-two, call me Reno." Throwing a wink at Tseng, Reno finally turned to his horrified looking sister and waved goodbye with a cheeky grin fixed on his face as he practically skipped off towards the elevators. Tseng turned to Maya, his eyes wide in silent rage and befuddlement.

"Did he really just—" Tseng addressed Maya, only to be interrupted by the older Sinclair mid-sentence. He glared at her as she stood up and launched into an upset tirade directed at him.

"I _tried_ to tell you! I was flailing my arms and even making _eye-contact_ with you of all people! Do you know how daunting that is, Mr. I-am-so-stern-and-intimidating-and-can-kill-you-in-your-sleep-because-I-have-the-means-to-find-out-where-you-live-and-then-have-a-stake-out-party-with-my-assassin-friends-before-I-jump-out-AND-ATTACK-POOR-INNOCENT-BUMBLING-SLUM-DWELLERS-LIKE-THE-SINCLAIRS, HMMMM?!" Maya heaved in a couple of deep breaths before continuing on with her emphatic speech. "You know what? I'm not even going to try and talk Reno out of being informal with you at all. He's hard enough to deal with in regular doses for all of you. Now, you're going to be dealing with a man hyped up on a special mix of 'testosterone fuelled cockiness'! You know, he's just an adolescent, he's going to have mood swings, he's going to show you attitude and you're going to get mad at him!" Tseng shook his head, opening his mouth to rebut her presumptions, but alas, she didn't stop speaking. Tseng rolled his eyes to the ceiling, shutting his mouth in the process and clenching his jaw as he folded his arms and continued to listen to the young psychologists' speech.

"You're going to think that it's just him being a jerk, but that's just him _expressing himself_ in a world that doesn't make sense to him. All he wanted to do was show you respect the only way he knew how and you took that away from him! Now he's never going to salute at anyone again. Oh, you're going to be feeling sorry for calling him out like that. So what if you guys aren't the military? Does that even matter? He was just _expressing himself_! He was just showing you the respect he thought you deserved. Now you're not even going to see THAT!" Maya sighed dejectedly as she stared up at the imposing Turk with wide, imploring dark eyes. Tseng realised that the two Sinclair siblings looked _nothing_ like each other. He forced down the urge to smile as he secretly planned to look into the nature of Maya and Reno's relation to each other at a later time. Realising that Maya was still talking, Tseng tuned back into her speech.

"You can't… expect him to say 'Reno of the Turks, clocking off sir' any more. Instead, you're going to have to make do with a 'Smell ya later, grumpy!', and in your mind, you're going to have to tell yourself that 'It's okay. This is just Reno expressing his true self, and _I respect that_.'" Maya nodded solemnly at Tseng, as if asking him is he understood what she was saying.

Tseng found himself nodding back, despite his annoyance. Taking a quick glance of the time on his black wrist watch, he took a step backwards from Dr. Maya Sinclair. He was thoroughly aware of the fact that he had just gotten 'shrinked' by the company shrink- albeit inadvertently, without Maya even realising it. Tseng shook his head slightly, adopting his stern mask once more. The woman may have been meek, but she was sure dedicated to her job.

"I'll keep that in mind, Dr. Sinclair. I've got to head off now. It was… interesting talking to you." Tseng trailed off, uncertainly. Maya nodded, a small smile gracing her face.

"It's okay, you can leave. Just don't get mad at Reno for being… Reno, alright?" She smiled sweetly at the thoroughly confused Turk. Nodding curtly, the second in command of the Turks walked to the elevators as calmly as he possibly could.

Thinking back to the recent conversation, he replayed Maya's words, mannerisms and both subtle and not-so-subtle personality quirks in his mind. He thought back to Reno's devil-may-care speech and mannerisms. Shaking his head, he found himself smiling despite his initial annoyance.

The Sinclairs were certainly something.

* * *

Genesis glared at the opposite end of his 'temporary' office. It was precisely six meters away. If he wanted to set something in fire, he'd end up hurting himself- and Goddess forbid that he burn his own handsome face just for some arsonist-fuelled satisfaction. His bright, teal eyes travelled around the small room, landing on his office mate's empty seat. Genesis raised an eyebrow in question.

'How long did it take to scarf down a god damn sandwich for lunch? Does the lab rat even eat sandwiches for lunch?' Genesis found himself unable to hold back an uncharacteristic chuckle. He coughed to clear his throat, his eyes darting around suspiciously to check if anyone was around to see his moment of discomposure. Realising he was safe, he leaned back in his squeaking office chair and folded his arms as he lost himself in his thoughts.

'Is she even a sandwich girl? Maybe she likes salads with a lot of fatty dressing drizzled on it. I mean,' Genesis scoffed outwardly as he smirked at the wall he had previously been glaring at, 'with a chubby build like hers, I can't imagine her skimping on that fatty Corel salad dressing.' Letting out a short bark of laughter, Genesis shook his head and leaned forward as he uncrossed his arms and settled his gaze back on the pending paper work on his desk. Letting his eyes roam over the short report description, the auburn haired man didn't bother stopping an exasperated sigh escaping his lips.

It was Reno's mission report. To be more precises, it was the report describing the happenings of the Junon Cannon maintenance mission. Genesis felt his palms burning, his desire to burn the piece of paper in front of him growing with every second as he agitatedly perused through the report reliving the mission that had inadvertently haunted his dreams.

_**Mission Report: Renaldo Sinclair- Department of Administrative Research**_

_**Rank: **__Junior_

_**Nature of Operation: **__Joint Operation with Commander Genesis (the Princess) Rhapsodos- SOLIDIER First Class (though I have __no__ idea why)._

_**Details: **__So, we arrived in Junon and Princess was all 'Stop speaking, communication is not essential for this mission,' and I'm all "Dude, relax yo! This is just a regular operation- no dirty business expected." He proceeded to leer at me like some pervert for the rest of the chopper ride. _

_I wasn't too sure about the details of the mission since our debriefing session was held at a time where I was too tired to function properly. My bad dudes… Anyways! We, like, got off the chopper and Princess Gen told me to make my way to the cannon so I was all "Okay man!" He told me that I was to take out any hostiles or suspicious characters in the vicinity so I kept that in mind. _

_On the way to the cannon site, I saw this weird man selling a hat decorated with tomatoes (from here onwards I shall refer to this as the 'tomato-hat'. I thought that was pretty damn suspicious (not the mention the fact that tomatoes taste rancid and are evil) so I approached the guy. Turns out he was working for some drug lord- not that I knew it at the time. Anyways, he saw my suit and tried to bolt, but I knew I couldn't let the guy leave because the Commander did tell me to take out any hostiles of suspicious guys. I was only following orders!_

_So, I proceeded to run the shit out of the guy- and let me tell you; he was panting like a guy about to go into cardiac arrest because of my __amazing__ stamina. Clarissa, if you're reading this- I can show you a good time ;) Anyways, so the guy stops running and I tackled him because that's the only way I knew how to subdue a person at the time (I belatedly remembered that I could have just informed the guy that he was under ShinRa custody for running from authority, but in my defence, Turks are supposed to be all cool and shit and talking it out just didn't seem appropriate for my badass position in society)._

_After punching him a few times, he told me that he was working for Don Corneo. Apparently this 'Don' is based in Midgar- somewhere in the slums I guess… the last time I'd seen Don Corneo, he was gambling away his family's social security money at the Wall Market Tavern so, like, maybe he hit the jackpot or something! Either way- looks like we've got to investigate this shit…_

_Oh yeah! The Junon Cannon is fine. There's some rust here and there but the Commander was all "That is not of consequence," but I decided to shove that detail in here just in case it was the key to saving thousands of lives. You know, because I'm a civil hero and all! _

_If you wanna know more about the damn cannon, go take a peek at the princess' report- I'm sure that's gonna be a fun time for all involved (I hope you can feel the sarcastic vibes). _

_Thanks for reading my awesome recount of an awesome mission!_

_Peace out and all that shit,_

_Sincerely Renaldo Sinclair (but if anyone calls me Renaldo in person, I'll skin you alive. Trust me, I'll do it- Turk training's got me well equipped! Thanks Tseng and Director Veld!)_

_P. S: (Is that how you even finish a report? Shit, I knew I should have paid more attention during theory classes. Sorry boss men) :'(_

Genesis felt the vein in his temple throb as he read over the extremely blasé mission report. It seemed that there was not an ounce of formality to be found in the red-headed traffic light look-alike. Sure, the young man was only eighteen years of age, but Genesis had secretly hoped that under all that cocky immaturity, there was a wise-beyond-year, reasonable young man waiting to hop out and make Genesis' life much easier.

Judging by the report he held in his blistering hands, this was certainly _not_ the case.

Genesis' eyes scanned the document once again and his hands clenched at the paper in his hands at the sight of his 'endearing' nick name.

'I am NOT anything like a Princess! Sure, I do enjoy the finer aspects of life, but that just shows that I'm not a complete Neanderthal!' Genesis reasoned with himself, throwing the report down on his table and letting out a frustrated groan. He stared into his burning palms and closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths in an effort to calm himself down. Angeal had informed him mere days ago that Genesis' behaviour would determine how long his own office was decommissioned. In short, Genesis had to learn to reign in his temped before he was allowed to step foot into his own, huge, comfortable and familiar office.

For now, however, he was stuck in a damn specimen storage cubicle with an infuriatingly anxious woman.

Genesis found himself scowling slightly. His scowl was not full of malice, however. Rather, his eyes showed a hint of confusion. Ever since she had shown him her 'temper' (if her literally hanging a present on his wrist before stomping off to who-knows-where could be considered a fully-blown temper tantrum), Genesis began to find himself curious about the woman.

Though this curiousity wasn't unfounded- even Reno and Angeal had admitted that Maya's behaviour was out of the ordinary that day. Maya had eventually come back to their shared 'office' and stuttered an apology- which Genesis for the most part ignored. That still didn't change the fact that he had incited some type of anger from her.

That intrigued Genesis Rhapsodos to a large extent.

It wasn't just his ability to bring about anger in the docile being that was Dr. Maya Sinclair that intrigued him. Additionally, Genesis found himself curious as to _why_ he was so adamant on seeing her react in a similar way all over again.

Genesis grinned to himself as he pictured her red face, her glasses askew as they barely rested on her flushed, pudgy cheeks and her undeniably soft figure dwarfed underneath that overly large white lab coat… oh how he wanted to feel the softness of Maya in his hot embrace just once...

In an instant, Genesis shot up out of his seat and shook his head. His eyes widened in horror as he belatedly realised where his thoughts were leading him. He immediately raised his gloved hand to his face, turning around in what little space he had afforded to himself between his seat and the wall. The Crimson Commander leaned his left hand onto the wall, paying no attention to it as he raised his other hand approached his face. He had expected to feel the warmth of his obviously flushed cheeks (from anger, he desperately reasoned with himself) as his worn leather made contact with his strong jaw and cheek. However, to his painful surprise, he experienced a moment of numbness before a blistering pain shot through the right side of his face.

"Mother fu—" Genesis yelped, shakily, as his right hand shot away from his face. He jumped around in the small space he stood in, knowing full well that he looked like a complete idiot. He didn't care in the least, however, as his face stung painfully, inciting tears to form and fall down his face.

He didn't even realise the damn psychologist was back in the office, staring at the spectacle before her in horrified amazement.

"Shit, shit, shit, _shit!_" Genesis swore as he focused his efforts on finding something- anything\- that could help relieve the intense pain before the mako in his body kicked in and began its natural healing process. As he shuffled through his desk, he pushed papers off his desk and threw objects to the floor, not really seeing or understanding what he was doing. The pain lasted way too long and he was starting to feel like he'd lost control- that he'd finally, _really_ gone and did something really stupid. No one was there to make the pain go away and the mako was sure taking its sweet time to begin the healing process.

* * *

Genesis let out a panicked sob as he continued to rifle through his belongings, completely unaware of the woman shakily making her way towards him, a mixture of worry and fear in her dark, brown eyes. In her hand she clutched a vial of green-blue liquid that she'd retrieved from her own desk. She'd stashed it in the depths of her desk draw after her little anger episode directed at Genesis. She'd anticipated him throwing a Firaga her direction any day now- however seeing him burnt by his own hand was quite… shocking. At least, for her it was.

She definitely didn't expect the Commander of ShinRa's army to do something so… stupidly irrational yet so undeniably human. She let herself take in the sight of a panicked, hyperventilating Genesis Rhapsodos and she felt a strange pang in her heart. She felt a strong surge of sympathy for the man… he looked so desperate for a life line, even if it was just to save his face from scarring… still- he was scared and in need of help. With a determined nod, Maya stepped forward and bravely clamped a clammy hand onto Genesis' forearm. He stopped immediately and drew ragged breaths, his teeth clenching- in annoyance or pain, Maya found it hard to tell the difference. Still, she uncapped the Elixir in her free hand and slowly raised her arm so that the Elixer was in his line of sight.

* * *

Genesis couldn't see exactly what the substance was through his pained tears but he was slightly calmed by the blue-green colour he detected, even though it was a little blurred.

"I'm going to apply this on you burn, alright?" Genesis nodded, tears falling down his face as he belatedly realised that there was someone witnessing his little episode in the room. He wanted to open his mouth to talk, to say something clever and hurtful and to just make the damn woman _leave him alone_ but he didn't have the energy to do so. The soothing coolness of the Elixir washed over his screaming facial nerves as the pain receptors grew numb before they started tingling. He barely registered the gentle scrape of the person's fingernails on his scalp as they massaged the right side of his aching head, bringing him comfort. He found himself leaning into the touch, despite his mind desperately fighting against his body's need for comfort. He barely realised that she was speaking again.

"You're healing up quickly. That's good and expected, I guess. You are SOLDIER…" She trailed off, her voice wavering slightly as Genesis began to straighten up. His arm moved upwards to wipe drying tears from his face as he let his auburn locks hide his face from the woman he'd ridiculed for her weakness. The physical burning sensation was gone, but now he burned with shame as he struggled to muster up the two words that he was sure Maya wanted to hear for her efforts with him mere moments ago. Knowing her, it must have taken a lot of courage to do what she did. He was lucky she didn't pass out as a result of a panic attack at the unsightly scene he made in _her_ office. Genesis sighed, attempting to lift his head to address her.

He was surprised when he found that he couldn't. So he just stood there, staring at his black combat boots and blinking dumbly at them, keeping an eye on the plain, lace-up leather shoes the lab-rat wore as part of her drab get up from his peripheral vision.

He heard her lab coat shuffle, and felt a warm hand fall gently upon his back in repeated motions.

Just as he barely registered she was petting his back, he almost flinched as her shaky voice penetrated the silence around them.

"D-don't mention it. You're o-okay now s-so it's thanks enough. I'll come back l-later when you're f-finished for the day," Maya stuttered. Genesis found himself frowning as her hand ceased motion and the warmth was lost. He heard her coat shuffle as she moved away and he desperately wanted to open his mouth to say something to her- anything at all- but she was gone before he could finally snap out of his post-traumatic stupor and look up at her.

Staring at the slightly ajar sliding door of the 'office', Genesis whispered hoarsely into the room.

"_Infinite in mystery is the Gift of the Goddess…_ _We seek it thus and take to the sky…_" Genesis took in a deep breath, feeling the last remnants of the Elixir tingling against his cheek. Sending a withering look at his gloved hands, he tilted his head to the side as he pondered seriously over what had just happened. He briefly recalled the shame he felt before Maya as she inadvertently stumbled into one of his weakest moments as both a SOLDIER and a man. He briefly pondered over his delayed Mako reaction and made a mental note to go and see Hollander about it, albeit a little disdainfully. And then he found himself smiling as he thought of the warm touches Maya had provided him, even though he knew fully well that she was scared of what he might have done to her if she tried to help his proud self.

He gave her too little credit.

Genesis shook his head, raising his hand cautiously to his scalp, taking a moment to check if his hand was still blazing hot (it wasn't) before raking his fingers through his hair. His eyes caught the golden embossed copy of Loveless that had been pushed to the floor, and caught sight of Maya's little welcome note to him that he'd wedged into the book before placing it under the piles of paper work on his desk.

Bending down amongst his mess on the floor, he pondered over the book before his eyes lit up in a 'eureka!' moment.

Glancing at Maya's desk for confirmation of his seemingly brilliant idea, he spotted his old, worn copy of Loveless on her desk, just beside her stapler. He grinned as he formed his 'Thank You' plan to Maya, not realising that what he was planning to be an innocent outing between friends with a mutual love for the literary masterpiece that was Loveless could be misconstrued as something much more 'romantic'.

No… for being known as ShinRa's most troublesome bachelor, he surprisingly had no idea at all.

**Note/ Fun Fact: **I originally wrote the beginning of this chapter as a set up to meeting Olivia, the obsessive secretary that loves Sephiroth. However, meeting Tseng and fleshing out Reno seemed more fitting for this chapter. Not to worry though- you'll meet sweet, scary and feared-by-the-Great-Sephiroth Olivia VERY soon ;) Remember to Read, Review, Follow or Favourite if you like what's going down in this fic all my sweeties *hearts*

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL! :D


	7. Chapter 7

**A.N: _Happy belated New Year everyone! I want to thank everyone for the follows, favourites and reviews! I'll get right on to replying to those ASAP! This chapter was a real pleasure to write until I reached the 3000 word mark- following this it started to storm and my mood changed with the weather and well... welcome to Angstville ft dark humour! HAHAHAHA! I hope it's not too confusing :( Also, I FINALLY GOT TO PROPERLY INTRODUCE SEPHIROTH AND I AM SO HAPPY WITH HOW THE SCENE TURNED OUT! _**

**_Special shout out to Womble, who spread the Maya love in his fanfic! (*shamelessly advertises friend's fic Fearing the 1st*) LOL!_**

**_Enjoy! :)_**

**Edited: 16/02/2015**

* * *

**Chapter Six-**

Four days had passed since the Crimson Commander had accidentally burnt his face, only to be saved by the nervous wreck that went by the name of Maya Sinclair. Since that particular incident, Genesis never got the opportunity to put his impulsive- and somewhat self-indulgent- 'thank you' plan to motion. Now, it wasn't that the man was avoiding the anxiety-crippled woman. Far from that, actually. Rather, it seemed that the company had a sudden urge to send out all military personnel into the field to do the company's bidding. Genesis scowled as he tucked his PHS into one of the many pockets of his standard issue black SOLDIER uniform pants and zipped it shut. Raising his hand, he conjured up a weak Fire spell and threw it half-heartedly at the occupied sleeping bag at his feet.

"Uh… AARRGH DAMN IT GENESIS, YOU FREAKING PYRO!" Genesis snickered uncharacteristically into his gloved hand, taking care to keep it _away_ from his precious face. The only good thing about being out on a useless mission with the Junior Turk on the outskirts of Cosmo Canyon was that Renaldo Sinclair was a late riser and Genesis's military discipline blessed him with waking before the younger man. That meant that he could wake his subordinate in any way he pleased to get on with the dreaded mission. Though his methods were questionable, no one could deny their effectiveness in getting the job done. The job being rousing a teenager from sleep.

Genesis withheld an amused snort. Many would say that his methods were entirely justified based on the lone argument that Reno was a mere adolescent.

"Don't complain. It's your fault you decided to stay up late chatting on your PHS like a love-struck fangirl," Genesis, facing away from the ill-tempered red-head, grinned as he began to disassemble their make-shift camp. Oh, it was always fun to tease the subordinate.

Reno glared at the back of Genesis' auburn head as he extracted himself from his sleeping bag. Stretching to his full height, Reno let out a tired yawn before snatching up his 'bed' and attempting to squeeze it into its small holder.

"Oh please, I was on the phone for two minutes! And I was saying goodnight to my sister," Genesis frowned at this admission. He hadn't really noticed who Reno was talking to on his PHS as he'd already begun drifting off to dreamland after applying insect repellent on his exposed skin. Turning to the younger man, Genesis raised an eyebrow.

"If I had known you were speaking with Maya, I would have asked for a few seconds on the phone to her," Reno's eyebrows rose, his facial expression incredulous.

"And what, Princess, would you have to say to my sis that's so pressing?" Genesis frowned at Reno, maintaining eye contact as he responded quickly, as to not bring about suspicion.

"I asked her to pass on a few papers to the General about increasing the funding for Materia Research. I was merely wondering if she had managed to do that." The Crimson Commander noted, with nervous disappointment, that Reno's facial expression was still incredulous.

Truth be told, Genesis didn't know why he wanted to talk to Maya. He'd just said it because he _wanted_ to say it. There was no real reason behind wanting to talk to her, other than to say 'thank you for saving my beautifully handsome face you nervous wreck of a human being!' But he wasn't willing to admit that to the smug son of a bitch standing in front of him at that moment. No way!

"Yeah… sure ya did," Reno drawled out, slowly backing away from the Commander and resuming his tedious task of packing his large, un-compacted sleeping bag into its sleeve. After taking a few minutes to calm his nerves, Genesis absently used the time to check over their 'camping grounds' to see if he'd left anything important unpacked. Seeing that he didn't, he glanced back at Reno and let out an exasperated sigh at the sight that greeted him.

Reno was now sweating, his dyed red hair beginning to plaster his face as he wrestled with the blue sleeping bag. Genesis stepped forward and wrenched the thick material out of the younger man's eyes, glaring all the while as Reno shot him an abashed look.

"Don't know why the damn company makes the sleeves for this fluffy contraptions so small…" Genesis rolled his eyes at Reno's muttering.

"Just shut up and grab the packs, we're leaving." Reno nodded, still too sleepy to retort as he ambled over to the packs and collected them just as Genesis managed to compact and wrestle Reno's sleeping bag into the troublesome sleeve.

The SOLDIER and Turk turned towards the town in the distance, spying the rocket on the launch pad in the distance. Genesis heaved a sigh before gesturing for Reno to follow him. The day promised a huge helping of Palmer with a side of foul-mouthed pilot-turned-astronaut and Genesis knew it would take every ounce of patience within him to refrain from setting something on fire.

Reno stumbled on a loose rock at that moment and fell into Genesis' back with such great force that the two men went sprawling to the ground. Mouth wide open in shock, Genesis felt his temper rise as he heard the tired young man half-laying on his back offer a half-assed apology. Not bothering to wait for Reno to remove himself, Genesis wrenched himself up off the ground and proceeded to dust himself off before stalking towards the dreaded town.

Oh, today promised to be just _fantastic_!

* * *

Maya sat in her office, her fingers massaging her temples as she stared down at the cheerful looking invitation card resting on top of a random Cadet Preliminary Psychological Profile. Dread filled her body as she took in the numbers denoting the date of the 'jovial' celebration that was to be had. She had two days before the dreaded Saturday arrived where she would be expected to attend Reno and Zack's company funded promotion party. Maya had almost forgotten about it until she found the conveniently placed invitation on her desk that morning.

Maya whimpered in despair. What was a 'plain Jane' scientist like her going to do at a rambunctious party for two equally rambunctious young men like Reno and Zack? Sure, it was to celebrate their successes and Maya wanted to pass on her official congratulations to the two sweet young men. However, she would have preferred to cook them both a pasta bake and offer them lemonade for an evening filled with non-alcoholic, board game induced bliss.

But this… this invitation was just _inviting_ scandal and alcoholic delirium. Maya shook her head and let it drop heavily onto her desk, letting out a grunt of pain as her head made impact upon the table. The brunette didn't even bother looking up when she heard a familiar dry, amused chuckle disturb the room's anxious silence.

"I see you found the invitation," Maya groaned in response as the smooth baritone managed to minutely soothe her nerves. Not bothering to lift her head, Maya spoke to the disembodied voice.

"What can I do for you, General?" Hearing leather and cotton shift again, Maya presumed that the powerful man in her office/specimen containment cubicle had moved to sit down on the seat opposite her desk. Which meant that he wasn't going to be leaving any time soon. Maya sighed and lifted her head off her desk, not caring that her forehead probably had a red spot on it from being pressed up so hard against the desk.

It wasn't that Maya disliked Sephiroth, nor was she afraid of him. Rather, they were actually good friends. She was just wary of Hojo finding out she was on good terms with Sephiroth. Not only would that complicate Maya's already terrible relations with the head of the Science Department, Sephiroth would surely end up being 'experimented upon' or even painfully 'cleansed' for hanging around 'slum-scum' like herself. Maya refrained from tearing up at the depressing thoughts as she warily glanced up at the ethereal man that was the Silver General.

Sephiroth raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at the small, pudgy psychologist in curiosity. Maya sighed yet again and leaned back on her chair, adjusting her green rimmed glasses as she folded her arms.

"You don't have an appointment with me General. Are there any pressing matters that need to be addressed?" Sephiroth's face remained impassive as he studied the woman before him. Maya gulped as she felt herself become nervous. She chided herself mentally.

'_This is just a physical reaction. This is JUST a physical reaction! I am NOT having a panic attack and I am certainly NOT dying.'_ Maya chanted in her mind. Her forehead broke out into beads of sweat as she unconsciously rocked back and forth in her seat. Seeing this, Sephiroth sighed and averted his gaze.

"I apologise. It's been so long since we've spoken face to face that I had forgotten you dislike being the centre of attention," Sephiroth looked up, his eyes offering a gentle and protective gaze. "Forgive me, Maya." Maya gulped as she regained control of her breathing, managing to throw a glare at the usually intimidating General.

"Y-you're so f-f-full of it, mister." Maya deadpanned. Sephiroth grinned sardonically in return.

"I try," he glanced down at the invitation, ignoring Maya's now impatient expression. "Are you worried about getting a date for the occasion?" He questioned innocently. Maya immediately shook her head, not really taking offense to the insinuation that she was hopeless in the romantic arena.

"Not really," Maya replied, distractedly. She motioned at the closed sliding door of her 'office' with wide eyes concentrated on Sephiroth's green, cat-like gaze. She leaned forward, her voice soft as she spoke in low tones. "Seph… do you realise how _risky_ it is for you to be here with me of all places?" She looked around her office suspiciously. "You didn't even bother making a _fake_ appointment this time! Are you _mad_?" Maya chided. Sephiroth levelled her with an amused look as he in turn leaned forward, his face only a few centimetres away from her own. Surprisingly, this didn't bother either of the two friends.

"Hojo's in the SOLDIER Training Room. Zack's running through some tests with him- he'll be occupied for a few hours at least and I'm on my tea break," Sephiroth leaned back as Maya's eyes widened impossibly further at the revelation. "I don't have many friends, and I'd like to keep good relations with the ones I have- even if they are from the Science Department," Sephiroth frowned at this, which made Maya scowl playfully at him.

"You're so mean!" Sephiroth nodded in agreement.

"So I have been told," crossing his arms, he mirrored Maya's previous pose as he nodded at the invitation splayed on Maya's papers. "So, what's the problem then? As your friend, I am obliged to talk you through your distress. From what I saw as I walked into the room, I can conclude that your distress is worth worrying over." Maya managed to smile at the Silver General. He really was trying hard to be more social. After Maya had jokingly told the man he may have the precursors for anti-social personality disorder during their first meeting, Sephiroth had become quite sensitive to jibes at his quiet and withdrawn nature. The young psychologist frowned as she reflected on her terrible sense of humour. She remembered the first time Sephiroth had called her on her personal number (probably courtesy of being pals with Tseng of the Turks) and surprised her with a talk about his day before he promptly hung up following very formally put salutations wishing Maya a good evening. She recalled running into Reno's bedroom in a frenzy, claiming that she 'broke' the prized General of the ShinRa Military Force.

Maya was brought back from memory lane as Sephiroth snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, his squinted gaze showing tell-tale signs of impatience. Maya smiled apologetically before clearing her throat and gesturing at the invitation, dread returning to her being.

"Parties are not for me. Especially ones with alcohol and booze and beautiful people wearing beautiful things!" Maya exclaimed. Sephiroth nodded, his gaze thoughtful as he stared at the invitation.

"I can empathise with that sentiment," Maya rolled her eyes at this.

"Says the beautiful man with the best alcohol tolerance in the building!" Sephiroth barely withheld a grin as he glanced at Maya.

"Beautiful man? I am flattered." He commented, his velvet voice causing Maya to flush in embarrassment.

"_Sephiroth_!" Maya protested as she raised her chubby hands to her flushed cheeks. The man couldn't deny the truth though, he was gorgeous.

Sephiroth smiled at his adorable friend and chuckled at her expense.

"Sorry, continue." Maya glared as she tried to stave off her embarrassment. Nevertheless, she abided by Sephiroth's words.

"I just… know that I'll probably embarrass Reno by being there… and wanting to leave early. It's his big night and I know he'll want to enjoy it to the fullest. And despite me being a complete bore, I know he'll want me to be there with him the whole time. I don't want to disappoint him but… spending a whole evening dressed in uncomfortable party attire, standing awkwardly amongst sweaty, alcoholics grinding to catchy rap music is not my idea of a good time," Sephiroth nodded, encouraging Maya to continue on her tirade. Maya shot him a pathetic look as she swiped her damp bangs behind her ears, patting her customary messy bun as she continued speaking. "To be honest, I just know that everyone at the party will just alienate me and make me feel like the small, insignificant slum-rat I am." Maya finished dejectedly. Sephiroth let out a sigh as he realised Maya refused to make eye contact with him.

"I am slightly offended, Dr. Sinclair, that you would think everyone would alienate you. I'll have you know that I will be attending the celebrations and I've been informed that Professor Hojo has prior engagements leaving me free to mingle with whomever I want," Sephiroth smiled at the disheartened psychologist sitting in front of him. "I wouldn't worry about the lacking company at the party. Rather, I would personally be more worried about your own musical tastes…" Maya looked up at Sephiroth's unexpected statement, her brows furrowed in slight confusion.

"My musical tastes?" Maya ventured. Sephiroth nodded, a worried look on his face.

"Yes… you say you find rap music 'catchy'. That's enough reason to worry," Maya broke out into a slightly offended grin as she straightened up in her chair, feeling better about herself in the presence of the General. In his own, unconventional way, he had made her feel better about the whole ordeal. She was extremely grateful to him as she reached out to shove him across the desk.

"I resent that!" Sephiroth openly grinned he reached out to shove her back gently before he was interrupted by his ringing PHS. Throwing a beaming Maya an apologetic look, which Maya immediately waved off happily, the General answered his phone.

"Fair, I thought you were to be occupied for another hour." Sephiroth narrowed his eyes as he shot up from his chair and promptly headed for the door. Throwing a wave over his shoulder, he spoke into the receiver, his voice growing fainter as he quickly walked down the corridor towards the elevator. Maya raised an eyebrow as she managed to catch a few words on Sephiroth's side of the conversation.

"You had one job, Fair. _One job_..."

Maya's lips formed a smile as she realised what Sephiroth had done just to spend some time with her. On one hand she wanted to reprimand him for using his power over Zack in what could have been a dangerous training experiment with Hojo. On the other hand though, Maya wanted to hug the life out of Sephiroth for being such a great friend.

Still smiling, Maya stood from her desk to stretch her legs. As she looked around the room, silly smile still on her face, her eyes honed into the scorch mark left by Genesis' hand when he'd leaned on the wall as he cried in pain from burning his face. The giddy smile on her face was replaced with a soft look of amusement mixed with concern. Genesis and Reno were out on a mission to Rocket Town- something related to the Space Program apparently.

Tilting her head to the side, Maya brought her hands to her hips and let out a short breath as she murmured to herself.

"I wonder what they're doing right now…"

* * *

Genesis stared openly at Palmer, in disgusted awe, as the mustard-suit-clad marshmallow man inhaled yet another plate of Rocket Town's famous Sausage and Mash 'Delight'. Genesis held back his inevitable gagging as he spied a train of dribble drip down from the corner of Palmer's dirty, plump lips.

"Mmmmm, that's the good stuff," Palmer exclaimed, his mouth still full of food. Reno, who stood just behind Palmer (as the Turk was trained to do) grimaced openly and made a pleading gesture at Genesis. Genesis in turn raised his hands in the air and shook his head in a gesture- internally screaming '_don't you DARE bring me into this shit!'_

Palmer, who was none-the wiser of the exchange between the two ShinRa personnel- raised his hand and gestured at no one in particular.

"Boy, don't just stand there! Bring me some more mash- can't you see I'm famished?" Genesis raised an incredulous eyebrow as Reno stiffly stepped forward and snatched Palmer's plate from in front of the marshmallow man hatefully. Catching Reno's gaze as the younger boy moved towards the buffet in the Commander's general direction, Genesis murmured as the red-head got close.

"Goddess, the man's going to explode! That was his _fifth plate_!" Genesis exclaimed his hushed whispers. Reno groaned quietly as he threw a glance at Palmer who was now boisterously chuckling along to a terrible joke about a cross-bred chocobo some engineer had just told. Reno shot the ShinRa executive he was charged with guarding a withering look before shaking his head and trudging off to the now-sparse buffet. Genesis watched after the younger boy, ignoring the pangs of hunger in his own stomach.

The meeting coordinators had said that both he and Reno could help themselves to the left-overs once the head honchos of the Space Program had finished having their fill of the supplied feed. Genesis glared at the back of Palmer's bolding head as his own stomach grumbled. All he and Reno would have to eat for lunch would be scraps. An unbalanced meal of scraps. Genesis' refined taste buds were not happy with the prospect of scraping lard off the bottoms of the sausage trays to spread over stale bread left untouched in the unappetising bread basket off to the side of the buffet table. If anything, the undignified meal of lard and bread would be much more appreciated by Palmer…

"… and then they cried because the baby chick was so damn ugly!" The table roared with laughter, Palmer especially as he banged his fat, pink fist on the table in an open expression of his mirth.

"OHOHOHOHOHOHO- auuuuggggggck!" Palmer's obnoxiously loud laugh was cut off by a harsh choking noise. Genesis hadn't even noticed as the foul-mouthed Captain Cid Highwind had ambled into the room, covered in grease stains, until the dirty blond began to shout expletives at the sight of a rapidly reddening Palmer.

"The f**k are you all doin', standin' around like a bunch stunned mullets? Freakin' help god damn Palmer breathe again!" Genesis stood frozen on the spot as he watched the pot-bellied men comically run over to Palmer who was now clutching at his throat, his face turning an interesting shade of blue.

A sharp knock to the back of his head snapped him out of his bemused daze. Shaking his head, Genesis turned around to glare at Reno who was, despite all the hysteria in the room, still holding a plate of Palmer's requested mash. The Crimson Commander raised an eyebrows at this, to which Reno merely shrugged.

"Thought he might still want the mash when he's done being an incompetent fat shit," placing the plate on the buffet table, Reno gestured at the writhing pile of skin, bone and fat that was Palmer. "Shouldn't you go and help? You are the one in charge of keeping the guy alive. I mean, I'm just a Junior Turk. I still haven't received my first aid license." Genesis rolled his eyes at this revelation. Were the Turks really that slow with their training? It had been some time since Reno had been officially ordained (or however the hell Turk's are commissioned) a Turk. Surely the young man knew how to squeeze the living day lights out of a fat man to dislodge foreign food stuffs that travelled down the wrong pipe, right?

Genesis looked at the writhing man on the floor and grimaced.

"I would prefer to leave him there, he seems content." Reno scoffed at this.

"Yeah, and I'm a real ginger." Reno deadpanned. Genesis let out a victorious whoop at Reno's statement.

"So you _admit_ you're not a natural red-head!" The Turk levelled the SOLDIER First Class with an exasperated look, which was quite shameful since it was coming from Reno of all people. Quickly sobering up, Genesis scowled and regretfully trudged his way towards the very oxygen-deprived man on the linoleum floor. Cid was kneeling down beside the man, having managed to sit the man upright. Genesis kneeled behind the large man and clamped his arms around Palmer's 'full' waist. With a disgusted grimace at the squishy flesh under his grip, Genesis tried to squeeze the man forcefully. He ignored the panicked looks that were being shot his way as he barely gathered half of the man's girth in his tone arms.

Cid swore loudly, swatting Genesis on the arm in a panic.

"His eyes are rolling back into his head! F**k, you're gonna have to do that CPR shit or something!" Genesis' eyes widened in horror as someone (if he'd known who, he would have summoned Ifrit on them after the whole _terrifying_ ordeal) dragged him into a position where his face was being shoved ungraciously into the marshmallow man's pork chop-like facial features.

'Not that he's very pink at this very moment. He's actually beginning to turn a beautiful shade of deep blue mixed with purple,' Genesis thought to himself as he tried to figure out how to go about performing CPR. It was quite ironic actually, since it was only about a month ago that Angeal had walked into Sephiroth's office, only to find him choking the very lab-rat who was not his office mate. Genesis found himself smiling, lost in his memories- his mind very far away from the situation at hand. A sharp tug on his hair (again, if he knew who had done it, there would be Hellfires to be had) brought his back to reality as his face grew dangerously close to Palmer's blue, sweaty head.

If the circumstances were different, Genesis would have nearly wet himself laughing at the sweet irony of all the events that had unfolded. However, being in the horribly dangerous position he was in at that moment, the Crimson Commander knew that this was no time, nor situation, to start finding his recently unfortunate life hilarious.

Resigning himself to a fate he believed to be worse than death, his lips opened up as he found his gloved hand seize Palmer's squishy chin. His lungs full of air, Genesis's lips descended- his eyes shut tight in an expression of complete and utter distress.

Genesis had never resented being the notorious, resourceful Crimson Commander as much as he had the moment his lips had made contact with the marshmallow man's.

He forced the breath from his mouth and into Palmer's, his eyes still tightly shut as he quickly pumped at the fat man's chest in a desperate frenzy to dislodge whatever food had gotten stuck in the ShinRa executive's throat.

As he worked, literally blinded by his own disgust, he could have sworn he heard a familiar, evil snicker resonating from behind him.

Shaking his head, Genesis opened his eyes just as Palmer spluttered all over the auburn haired man's aristocratic face. Palmer shoved Genesis aside, sitting up with the help of an overly helpful Cid Highwind. Genesis threw the dirty blond a scathing look.

"Damn suck up…" Genesis mumbled, trying to force his gag reflex down as he belatedly realised he'd technically locked lips with marshmallow-man Palmer. The man who regrettably occupied Genesis' thoughts at that moment shot him a look of gratitude and Genesis suddenly found himself being clutched to the big man's… _were those breasts?  
_

"Boy, you saved my life," Palmer screeched hysterically. Genesis violently squirmed, his urge to throw a Firaga into the man's face over powering his need to be the perfect SOLDIER. Palmer seemed not to notice as he continued to stroke and clutch at the handsome man in his grasp. "You sure took your sweet time, but what matters is that I am alive and the Space Program Review can continue!" Genesis groaned as he himself began to run out of oxygen. Finally, after what seemed to be many long, embarrassing, uncomfortable and frightening moments, Palmer let go of the Crimson Commander and accepted the hands of his advisors as he struggled to get off the floor. Genesis glanced up at the Cid who swore quite violently under his breath.

"God damn, maybe I should have locked lips with Palmer… could have guaranteed extra funding for the Space Program…" Genesis growled lowly at this, which was completely missed by the pilot-turned-astronaut as he followed Palmer's entourage out of the dining hall. Genesis remained on the floor- dazed and angry.

He didn't even bother reprimanding Reno as the Junior Turk finally lost it and began to laugh hysterically.

"Dude, you freaking _had your mouth __on__ Palmer's_! Shit, now I got enough evidence to finally prove you DO swing that way!" Genesis tuned Reno out, feeling his palms heat dangerously as his temper flared.

'Don't kill Reno,' Genesis stated calmly to himself in his mind. 'If Reno dies, there will be no celebrations on Saturday. No celebrations means no booze. No booze means no self-induced amnesia. No self-induced amnesia means life-long emotional scarring. Life-long emotional scarring means spending more time with the company shrink…' Genesis's palms, surprisingly, cooled slightly at the thought of the company shrink.

"Maybe… I should kill Reno." Genesis mumbled to himself. Reno's eyes widened as he managed to catch what Genesis had mumbled. Raising his arms as he kneeled down to help his superior off the floor, Reno shook his head.

"No, don't say things like that man! I'm only kidding!" Genesis ignored Reno, his mind still on the clumsy lab-rat back in Midgar.

Genesis narrowed his eyes as he pondered the infuriating, yet interesting, woman back at the ShinRa Headquarters.

Scowling, he wrenched his arm away from Reno's grip, dusting himself off and straightening himself to his full height- trying to muster up whatever dregs of dignity remained within.

Shooting Reno a tired look, he took a look at the left-over food on the buffet table and grimaced before moving to exit the room.

He wasn't hungry anymore. Not after what had just gone down.

"I just want this mission to be over." Reno jogged over to Genesis' side, a slightly concerned look on his face as he took in Genesis's visibly tired features and rumpled clothes. The red-head actually felt sorry for him, seeing him in the state he was presently in. Patting the man on the back, in what he had hoped was a consoling gesture, Reno spoke tentatively.

"Damn, you actually look like hell… kinda like you just got sexually assaulted by Palmer." Genesis shot Reno what he hoped was a hateful look before sighing and shaking his head.

'Just ignore him. Just walk forward and ignore him. Be nice to him, or Maya will lay into you…' Genesis' eyes widened as he brought his thoughts to an abrupt halt. Why did he care what Maya thought about his treatment of Reno? It wasn't like they were friends or anything!

The Crimson Commander cast his gaze down to the floor, his face showing hints of his confusion. Reno cringed at the subdued picture Genesis painted as they slowly made their way to the launch pad where further discussions on the Space Program were to be had. The older man was actually starting to scare him.

'Did… I miss something? Did Palmer _really_ assault him?' Reno thought, an incredulous expression on his face as he stared at Genesis.

Little did Reno know, the incident with Palmer was pretty much forgotten. Instead, Genesis was preoccupied with thoughts of a clumsy, ordinary psychologist.

His previously black and white world spontaneously burst into colour- wreaking havoc in the Crimson Commander's mind and causing his heart to hum like someone with a debilitating respiratory condition.

Genesis shook his head, his mind reeling at the terribly sappy metaphor he's just conjured in his mind.

"I'm losing it," Genesis murmured as he turned to Reno, a crazed glint in his teal eyes. Shaking his head, Genesis levelled a cold stare at his subordinate. "We are not to speak of this incident. Ever." Reno nodded, clearing his throat.

"The Palmer thing and the slight mental breakdown?" Reno reiterated. Genesis nodded solemnly.

"Yes, or else you'll be calling the Burns Ward home for a _very_ long time." The Commander deadpanned. Reno winced, but didn't argue with Genesis as he quietly walked along with the SOLDIER, as he quickly learned that some occasions warranted respectful silence in order for one's partner to get through a mission.

Reno nodded to himself, his face taking on a serious demeanour as they reached the jovial group of Space Program personnel. Not waiting for Genesis to ask, Reno took the initiative to stand quietly behind Palmer, his hands clasped loosely in front of him as he tried his best to be invisible in plain sight- just like a good Turk should.

Genesis eyed Reno in surprise before casting his gaze up at the rocket before the group of ShinRa executives and engineers. In his peripheral vision he spied Cid giving Palmer the one-fingered salute behind the executive's back. Smirking, Genesis cast his gaze towards Reno- who seemed desperate to maintain his almost perfect 'Turk Face'. However, as he looked into Genesis' eyes, be broke into a toothy grin.

Genesis found himself sighing with relief as he turned away from Reno to observe his surroundings. The Commander had been worried that he'd actually said something to hurt the younger man's feelings. He was happy to see that wasn't the case at all.

The auburn haired Commander frowned at his thoughts.

Since when did he care about other people's feelings?

Genesis shook his head vigorously, as if he could shake a parasitic 'sharing and caring' thought patterns out of his mind.

Quickly taking another glance at the Junior Turk, he rolled his shoulders backwards and fixed his patented glare on his face, trying to bring back his feared pyromaniac aura. His attempts failed, however, as the words of a respected mother figure randomly drifted into his train of thought.

'_Genesis… you're such a good boy!'_ The man in red leather shook his head as the words of Gillian Hewley resonated within his mind. _'Your caring nature is your biggest strength- remember that.' _Genesis rolled his eyes as he stared up at the cloudy sky above. A droplet of rain fell onto his cheek, causing him to wince slightly at the sudden coolness.

Ignoring the protests against the opening heavens and the impending stampede that was Palmer of the Space Program that originated somewhere behind him, Genesis closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Was he trying too hard to be the perfect, practical SOLDIER? Would these immensely human feelings compromise his SOLDIER integrity?

Genesis shuddered as the rain got heavier and his hair began to stick damply to his pale skin.

"Yo, Princess! We gotta get back inside! Palmer's chucking a hissy fit about a 'lack' of refreshments," Reno hollered over the loud rain. Genesis lowered his head and opened his eyes, nodding at Reno before following the Turk back to the Inn.

Pushing the confusing thoughts that plagued him to the back of his mind, decided to concentrate on doing his job- being the no-nonsense, sadistically dark humoured Crimson Commander.

Yes, thoughts of weakness and doubt could wait to be pondered on once he was back in his own private quarters in Midgar.

"Very well then. Let us not keep the over-fed pig waiting." Genesis heard Reno snigger from in front of him as they both stalked back into the dreaded Inn.

Genesis really couldn't wait for this particular mission to be over.

* * *

**Author's fun fact: **Palmer's choking scene was not supposed to be so detailed, not was it supposed to be a catalyst for Reno and Genesis' darker thoughts and mature-ish actions. As this fiction continues to unravel itself, I feel that it will turn into more of a drama/angst with hints of fluffy humour BUT FOR NOW WE'RE STILL SAFE! Now, next up is the PARTAY CHAPTER and it's all gonna be hilarious fluff so await it! TEEHEE! :) Favourite, Follow, Review, or just read and laugh~ as long as you guys continue to enjoy the story, all if good in the hood! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N: _So, I know I said this chapter would be the partay! However, I realised that I needed to explain character relationships and what not! ALSO, I NEEDED TO INTRODUCE OLIVIA BEFORE THE PARTY SO THAT THE PARTY SCENE AND SEPHIROTH'S REACTIONS AND EVERYTHING MADE SENSE! Now, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and more so I hope this chapter explains a few things about this AU! :) Now, I'm off to buy bread and eggs before I head off to the gym WOO! _  
**

**_I'd like to thank everyone for the follows, favourites and reviews! :) Love you all *hearts and hugs all around*!_**

**_Enjoy! :)_**

**Edited: 17/02/2015  
**

* * *

**Chapter Seven-**

It was Friday evening and Commander Genesis Rhapsodos had managed to drag himself all the way to Level 50 of the ShinRa Building via the seemingly never-ending flights of stairs. Arriving back at such a late hour, the ShinRa elevators were being serviced and as a result, the auburn haired SOLDIER had no choice but to run up an endless amount of steps to complete his Mission Report. On his lips were the beginnings of a relieved smile, fuelled by thoughts of napping in his office on his trusty black leather couch after completing the dreaded report. Letting out a content sigh, he rounded a familiar corner before running straight into a broad, muscled body. Groaning in muted pain, Genesis glared at the unexpected obstacle, only to soften his gaze as his teal, mako eyes took in the sight of his childhood best friend.

SOLDIER First Class Angeal Hewley smirked down at the slightly shorter man and raised an eyebrow at the Crimson Commander. Genesis already didn't like where the impending conversation was going. He'd actually counted on Angeal finishing his duties early so that he wouldn't have to worry about talking about Palmer, and more importantly, his mind's newly formed fixation on Maya.

As it turned out, luck was not on the exhausted Commander's side that evening.

"How'd the mission go?" Angeal asked, his tone devoid of malicious intent. Genesis narrowed his eyes as he averted his gaze from his best friend. The elder man of the two knew better than to believe Angeal hadn't already heard about the mission from someone else. Heaving a tired sigh, Genesis pushed past the amused man.

"I do not wish to speak of it," Genesis mumbled, his voice weary. Angeal cleared his throat loudly, gently resting a gloved hand on the tired man's shoulder.

"Where are you heading? Your office is still out of commission." Angeal reminded. Genesis stopped in his tracks at this, cursing softly before turning to his friend. In a display uncharacteristic of the fiery Commander, Genesis's lips were held in an enduring, tired pout.

"I forgot," Angeal frowned slightly at the way Genesis' voice wavered minutely as he spoke. Genesis often got irrationally upset when he was tired- and even more so when he was emotionally drained. Hand still on the older man's shoulder, Angeal gave a soft squeeze to comfort his exhausted friend. In turn, Genesis continued speaking, almost meekly. "I just wanted to take a nap on my sofa…" Angeal hummed sympathetically.

"It's okay Gen, I'll take you back to the residential building. Your report can wait until tomorrow." Genesis nodded tiredly, raising his own gloved hand to his mouth as he let out a broken yawn. Scrubbing his tired, teary eyes, Genesis let himself be steered and led back to his quarters by his childhood best friend.

As the two SOLDIER First Classes exited the ShinRa Building, Genesis allowed himself to breathe in the musky, yet cool, evening air that was so undeniably… _Midgar-esque_. The Crimson Commander allowed himself to smile a true, although tired, smile at his best friend as the raven man insistently tugged him towards their nearby apartment complex.

Sometimes, it was nice to let another person take care of him. Despite his wishing Angeal hadn't been in the building so late in the evening, Genesis also felt grateful that it was his best friend who had found him in such an emotionally vulnerable state. He was also grateful of the fact that Angeal was an honourable man- surely, he would not mention this embarrassing lapse of character to anyone.

Genesis couldn't help but let out a content sigh as he discreetly watched his determined friend lead him through the dead streets of Midgar. Allowing himself to lean on his childhood friend for both support and familiar comfort, the corners of Genesis' lips turned up discreetly.

Yes, Angeal was a great friend indeed.

* * *

Sephiroth frowned as his mako-enhanced auditory system detected shrill giggling. It seemed to be originating from his office's reception desk. The Silver General refrained from letting out an annoyed groan as he thought about his receptionist.

ShinRa's prized General was not a man who liked to employ the services of others if he could help it. However, the Director of SOLDIER had re-distributed responsibilities throughout the SOLDIER ranks following the previous year's Annual General Meeting. It had been decided during that meeting that the higher ranking officers would have to take on administration tasks, as well as the responsibility of screening and providing for the new Cadet and SOLDIER candidates.

The additional nagging of the Human Resources Department and Mayor Domino also hadn't helped matters long. As a result of inter-department politics, the three highest-ranking SOLDIERs in ShinRa's Special Forces found themselves shoved into private offices filled with tedious paper work, fancy PCs and corporate-flavoured furniture. Where Genesis was in charge of screening, planning and implementing Cadet and lower ranking SOLDIER material proficiency and training regiments, Angeal was given the responsibility of mentoring the most promising SOLDIERs and implementing and supervising the more rigorous SOLDIER training exercises.

This left Sephiroth with the tedious and draining task of making sure the two Commanders had everything they needed in order to shape the young military hopefuls into SOLDIERs worthy of fighting by the big threes' sides. Not to mention the countless meetings with Director Lazard discussing the suitability of Turk-scouted SOLDIER cadets, the finances, ensuring everyone's wellbeing and keeping an eye on the Science Department's involvement in his SOLDIERs and Cadets.

Too much work for even the esteemed General Sephiroth to handle with complete efficiency, Lazard had shown some mercy and provided the Silver General with a surprisingly efficient 'Olivia Jennings'.

Sephiroth rubbed at his eyes tiredly as he stood from his desk. Glancing at the PHS in his hand, he was surprised to see that it was already quite late into the evening. Narrowing his eyes as his ears picked up another round of shrill giggling, he grabbed his Apartment Access Card from his locked desk drawer and quietly opened his office's door, wondering why his receptionist was still in the building.

"Oh, _stop it_ Linda! You know the General's a shy man! He wouldn't even _think_ of doing that, as much as I'd want him to do so," Sephiroth grimaced as the neatly dressed secretary let out another plethora of giggles into the phone. He watched as the blond woman twirled a strand of wavy hair with her perfectly manicured fingernails. Sephiroth frowned at the metallic blue her fake fingernails were painted.

'Why do women subject themselves to such torture?' Sephiroth thought to himself as he hid himself behind his slightly ajar door, not knowing why he was still listening to his receptionist's conversation, but for some reason still unable to make his presence known.

Sephiroth rolled his eyes as she giggled into the phone again, letting go of the strand of hair she playing with, and turning her attentions to a wilted, red tulip resting pathetically on her desk.

"I don't know… I mean, I have my doubts. But then I think to myself: he doesn't just give anyone a flower," Olivia stopped talking, presumably to listen to what the person on the other end of the line had to say. Her glossed lips turned down in a frown, obviously not liking what 'Linda' had said. "Yes, I know he'd made me cry the day before! Still, he could have just said sorry- but he decided to give me a flower instead! And a red tulip at that!" She paused dramatically before continuing, "Do you even know what that means? It's a declaration of love!" Startled by this revelation, Sephiroth accidentally fell into his door. However, he managed to catch himself and quickly relaxed his posture so that it seemed like he'd just happened to be leaving his office.

All was casual in this office.

No spying was had that evening. None at all.

Sephiroth scoffed internally, slightly ashamed at himself for his juvenile actions.

'Who am I kidding? Not myself, that's for sure.' Sephiroth chanced a glance at Olivia, who had immediately dropped her phone and proceeded to gape at him in complete shock. Sephiroth, not knowing how else to deal with the situation, nodded towards her in acknowledgement.

"Ms. Jennings," he took in her still, stiff form as he continued to speak in what he hoped was a casual tone. "You're still here?" The woman in question seized up, in shock, as she took in Sephiroth's highly intimidating presence. Sephiroth stood still, his hands comically stuck to his sides as he felt equally gobsmacked about the strange social situation he had voluntarily thrust himself into.

"I- oh um, y-yes! With the celebrations expected to be had tomorrow evening, I couldn't afford to fall behind, so I thought I'd get tomorrow's work… done today," Olivia stuttered as she attempted to address her boss. Sephiroth was thoroughly impressed- despite the woman's obvious nervous discomfort, she was still capable of forming coherent sentences.

The Silver General had only made the effort to get to know one woman in his adult life, despite being the object of many intelligent women's affections. So naturally, his schema regarding women in relation to carrying conversation with the opposite sex were limited to what he'd been subject to during his initial interactions with Dr. Maya Sinclair. Clearly, Olivia's ability to string a coherent, meaningful statement in his presence despite her alarmingly obvious romantic interests in him went against all he knew.

That left him with no strategy in dealing with the slight, neat woman standing nervously before him. The mere idea of not having a strategy left Sephiroth feeling _very_ uncomfortable. Clearing his drying throat, Sephiroth let out a slightly strangled-sounding response.

"I see," another pause as the great Silver General's throat seized up at the prospect of having to speak amiably to a woman he saw every day but barely knew. "Your resolve is admirable." At this statement, Olivia nodded.

"Um, thank you General—" Olivia's wavering voice was cut off by the shrill screams of a generic PHS ring tone. Sighing in evident relief, Sephiroth flipped the communication device open and robotically greeted the person on the other line.

"Good evening Maya," Olivia found herself frowning as she placed her now disengaged phone back into its receiver. Despite knowing that Sephiroth and Maya were not _involved_ in a romantic sense, she couldn't hold back feelings of trepidation as she watched a small smile form on the silver haired man's lips. "To what do I owe thanks for this call?" The receptionist watched as the man of her affections tilted his head to the side, a slight look of confusion marring his authoritative features. If the circumstances were different, Olivia wouldn't have been able to hold back her fan girl squeal of delight.

General Sephiroth was just too _darn cute_ sometimes! The _Silver Elite_ would love this kind of material.

Humming into the phone, Sephiroth nodded along to the conversation. Olivia found herself growing worried as the General's facial expression contorted into a troubled frown.

"I do not believe I am equipped with knowledge that can help you. I apologise," Sephiroth shook his head remorsefully. Olivia raised an eyebrow, curious about what Maya was actually having troubles with. From what she could gather, the notoriously anxious woman was extremely distressed. Wrenched out of her thoughts by a deep, frustrated growl- Olivia's gaze shot up to Sephiroth's remorsefully frustrated face. "I don't know anything about women's formal attire. I can't possibly help you no matter how much I desire to do so!" Sephiroth exclaimed, expressing himself in a way that was extremely out of character.

Olivia giggled internally- it was after office-hours, so she'd let the emotional outburst slide this time. Thoughts returning back to the troubled man's friendship dilemma, the receptionist scurried forward and cleared her throat before she could even _think_ about the repercussions of the next sentence that was about to explode from her over-eager mouth.

"I do," she piped up excitedly as she wrung her hands in front of her. Sephiroth belatedly registered Olivia's presence, turning fully towards the small woman- shooting her a soft glare of inquiry. Feeling her heart begin to race as her adrenal gland began to work on over-drive (at least, that's what she thought was happening… she was no medical practitioner), Olivia continued- a bit nervously. "My parents work as stylists and I picked up a few things watching them as a kid- I could provide some assistance," Olivia trailed off, as Sephiroth cut her off with a curt nod as he spoke into his PHS.

"It seems the situation can be dealt with after all. We shall be there shortly," and with that, Sephiroth clamped his PHS shut and levelled an emotionless stare at the fidgety woman standing before him. "Do you have a vehicle?" Olivia gulped and nodded. Sephiroth, not knowing how else to respond, nodded back.

An awkward silence passed. Olivia cleared her throat.

"Do you, uh, have a vehicle too?" At this, Sephiroth shook his head- his cat-like green eyes never leaving her perpetually wide, doe-hazel irises. Olivia broke from his captivating gaze, the awkward atmosphere stifling the initial excitement, shock and embarrassment of being in Sephiroth's presence. "Okay… want me to drive?" Her inquiry was met with another mute nod.

Another awkward silence taunted the two before Sephiroth spoke.

"Maya awaits," Olivia shook her head slightly at this, trying to draw herself out of the surreal shock she'd just been blasted with as she watched the tall man saunter off towards the elevator, the epitome of confidence.

As she quickly swiped her car keys off the organised clutter on her desk, she shot a bemused look at the General that took up her affections. She'd always thought he was the epitome of perfection and the personification of power… but the chance interaction she'd just with him changed a few things.

Olivia found herself smiling softly as she took in the sight of a slightly impatient looking General holding the elevator for the two of them.

One thing was certain though- Olivia was _determined_ to see more of this awkward, childlike version of the General.

As she stepped into the elevator, her thoughts turned to the unappealing amount of overtime she'd have to subject herself to in order to see more of the General's interesting persona.

Shrugging as she caught sight of the General fiddling with the buckles on his leather over-coat- for the idea of being civil with another human being spooked the man to no ends- Olivia held in a giggle that was trying to fight its way out of her mouth.

In order to reap the rewards, sacrifices had to be made.

Looking forward to more time with Sephiroth, Olivia figured that the connotations of the infamously dreaded words 'over-time' weren't all that terrible.

In actual fact, they were quite... pleasant.

* * *

Maya sat on her favourite green sofa, her legs tucked under her body as she fiddled with the cuffs of her yellow, chocobo-themed flannel pyjamas. Glancing nervously at the analogue clock mounted on the off-white wall, the psychologist noted that the new day would begin in three minutes.

_11:57 pm_.

The perpetually anxious woman let her head fall forward, her long, wavy brown hair falling messily into her face. With a frustrated sigh, Maya brought her hands up and practically wrenched her bangs behind her ears. She liked her hair well enough when it was tied up and out of her face, but when she had to let her hair free to avoid scalp pains the next day, her hair seemed to do every possible thing to make her uncomfortable. Sighing, Maya took a quick glance at the hallways which led to the bedrooms and wondered what her baby brother was up to. He'd been really quiet since he'd gotten back from his mission and the elder Sinclair was starting to worry. More than usual.

"Do you want me to make you some hot chocolate?" Maya called out from her seat, hoping Reno could hear her small voice through his closed door. When she didn't hear a response, she slowly moved to get up and inquire about Reno's presumably sullen mood. If it were anyone else, they would have just thought Reno had conked out after a tiring mission. Maya knew better than this, however, as Reno's post-mission high usually lasted for two-to-three days straight. Oh, the joys of youth!

Maya shook her head at that last thought. She herself was too young to be having thoughts like that, being only twenty two years of age. Though a four year age gap was considerably large…

Maya heaved yet another sigh (she was a sigh-er) as she stretched her legs before shaking them out uncoordinatedly before stepping towards the hallway. However, before she could get anywhere near Reno's bedroom door, a resounding knock pervaded the silence.

Turning swiftly on her feet, Maya stumbled into the opposite wall with an 'oof!' of discomfort before scuttling hurriedly towards the front door. Yanking it open before looking through the peep-hole, she smiled up at the stern looking face of General Sephiroth.

"Hooray, you're here!" Maya beamed at Sephiroth before lowering her gaze to the familiar woman standing beside the imposing man. Sephiroth shifted uncomfortably as Maya raised her expectant gaze at him. When Sephiroth didn't immediately move to formally introduce his secretary to her, Maya levelled a warm gaze at the new-comer. At least, she hoped it was a warm gaze- Reno always said that what Maya had thought was a welcoming look actually looked more like the gaze of a scared deer caught in bright head lights.

Fighting back a grimace at the thought of her unsightly expression, Maya stepped to the side as she gestured into her home with a shaky arm.

"Please, come i-in!" Maya mentally reprimanded herself as she stumbled over her words. Sephiroth nodded in thanks before making a beeline towards 'his' designated sofa. His small receptionist followed, stopping to glance down at her black flats before lifting her head in question. Maya tried to relax herself as she offered the woman a smile in response. "Don't worry about it. Reno stomps around in here wearing his muddy boots all the time! Not that your shoes look muddy or anything! They're really nice shoes, where did you get them? I enjoy shoes…" Maya trailed off, realising that she was rambling. A choked sound originating from 'Sephiroth's Spot' hinted at the fact that the Silver General noticed Maya's verbose explosion. Blushing, Maya softly grasped the bewildered woman's arm as she led her to a free sofa before seating herself back on her own sofa.

Throwing a glare at Sephiroth, Maya spoke.

"It's rude to skip introductions, Seph." Sephiroth scoffed before he spared a glance at the fidgeting receptionist sitting opposite him.

"You already know her," Sephiroth spoke calmly. Maya sighed as she took in the apathetic features of the man sitting on the black and white themed sofa. Registering Maya's slight annoyance, Sephiroth rolled his eyes- reminiscent of a teenaged delinquent. Seeing this, the young woman sitting on the yellow sofa opposite Sephiroth decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Sorry for barging into your home like this, uninvited Maya. I'm Olivia Jennings- we met weeks ago… I still haven't thanked you for the warning," At this, Sephiroth perked up, throwing a curious glance at the small, blonde woman opposite him.

"What warning?" Sephiroth inquired. Maya smiled as she recalled the love letter, but then began to grimace as she recalled what happened immediately after Olivia had run out of the office- leaving her with an irrationally angry Genesis Rhapsodos. The meek woman shook her head of the morbid thoughts of her near-death-experience and shrugged at Sephiroth as she attempted to wink at Olivia.

"Oh, it's nothing!"

Sephiroth shot his best friend an unimpressed look.

"You look like you have a twitch." He deadpanned. Maya pouted at him before turning to face Olivia, who was smiling openly at the banter.

"He's so mean. How do you stand him?" Maya joked. The receptionist glanced at Sephiroth- who had occupied himself with reading an old issue of ShinRa Weapons Monthly that had been sitting on the coffee table- before winking at Maya conspiratorially before whispering.

"You know why," she giggled quietly. Maya grinned back as she discreetly stole a glance of Sephiroth who was now frowning in discomfort as he'd heard every word exchanged between the two women due to his enhanced auditory system. "Anyways, I've been brought here on a mission! Tell me- what's bothering you?" Maya's grin fell as thoughts of the Promotion Party filled her mind with unfounded anxiety.

"Um, well, the party tomorrow… I don't want to embarrass Reno." Maya finished quickly, hoping that Olivia would understand what she was trying to implicitly ask of her. Nodding in understanding, the smaller woman stood up and dusted off her immaculate business attire as she smiled at the psychologist.

"Well, let's see what you've got and we can work on your party look from there!" Olivia offered enthusiastically. Maya sighed in relief as she hauled herself up lethargically. Sparing a glance at the clock, she grimaced inwardly at the time.

_12:37 am._

Offering Olivia an apologetic look, she nodded towards the hallway.

"After we're done, I insist you stay the night. It's much too late to be heading out now." Olivia nodded giddily, wordlessly accepting the offer.

"Oh my gosh, this is going to be like a sleep over! Better tell the General not to wait up!" Olivia exclaimed loudly. Immediately after, an annoyed grunt came from the lounge room just as a tired voice called out from a nearby bedroom.

"Sephiroth is _fine_," the sword master currently 'chilling' in Maya's living room stated simply, addressing Olivia. Olivia's mouth fell open in shock as she registered that _THE_ General Sephiroth had just given her permission to drop formalities!

Meanwhile Maya found herself smiling at Reno's exhausted call for help from within his bedroom amongst all the commotion.

The psychologist was pretty grateful that the eighteen year old was showing signs of life, after that prolonged period of silence.

"Hey, ya think ya friend can help me out with my threads after she's done with ya? I'm havin' trouble with finding shit that actually matches…" Maya turned to Olivia to see if she wouldn't mind. Registering the look of dreamy shock on her new friend's face, Maya warily snapped her fingers in front of Olivia's bleary hazel eyes.

"Olivia?" Maya questioned, slightly concerned. Maybe it was too late at night? Before Maya could begin to feel guilty though, Olivia grinned brightly and even did a little jig on her spot.

"Sure, sure," Olivia called through the door, leaning playfully on Maya who stumbled at the sudden pressure at her side. "I'll work my magic on all the Sinclairs tonight and you two will be the most majestical siblings at the celebrations!" Maya heard Reno heave a relieved sigh from inside his room.

Yanking the door open, Reno grinned at the two older women outside his door.

"Now, why don't you two dolls start getting' pretty while I go put General Sourpuss to sleep?" At this, Olivia's eyebrows shot up- completely bewildered. Maya giggled and pulled the confused woman towards her room. Shutting her door, making sure Sephiroth wouldn't be able to hear them speak, Maya beamed at Olivia as she let her guard down.

"Sephiroth can't sleep until he's had a warm glass of milk and a scalp massage. When Seph can't back to his apartment, Reno insists on doing the scalp massage. He says he's 'this' close to discovering what all the scents in his shampoo are," Maya explained, pinching her thumb and index finger together as she squinted at the small space left between her fingers to make her point. Olivia smiled, a glint of affection in her eyes as she imagined the stoic Sephiroth snoring with a half-finished glass of warm milk in his slack grip and messy bangs covering his slightly pouty sleeping face…

Olivia coughed as she roused herself from her daydream, blushing as she rushed towards Maya's closet. Wrenching it open, she peered in as if she was looking for a strong enough distraction from her strangely alluring thoughts. The sight of mismatched, dreary colours and unflattering patterns and shapes made her gasp in shock. Turning to a wincing Maya Sinclair, Olivia schooled in her features into a small, sympathetic smile.

"Um, don't worry… we'll figure something out." Maya let herself smile as she walked towards Olivia and stood beside her, heaving a heavy sigh as she mentally prepared herself for a 'make-over'.

Hopefully, everything would turn out alright before the Promotion party and Reno would be proud to introduce her as his big sister.

And maybe… just maybe, she'd be able to impress another set of angry, glowing eyes.

* * *

**Note/Fun Facts: **Let me know what you guys think! Also, Olivia was never meant to be a major character when I first thought her up when I wanted to create comic relief in the Genesis-choking-Maya scene earlier in the story, but she kinda just came to life and voila! I hope you look forward to the awkwardness between hyper Olivia and anti-social Sephiroth LOL!

**17/2/2015: **I just fixed up an inconsistency with Olivia's appearance- I stated she had hazel eyes and then switched it to BLUE for some odd reason (maybe I was thinking of a female Cloud since the only slash pairing I ship is Cloud/Sephiroth... hmmm, interesting... BUT IT'S ALL FIXED NOW! Olivia Jennings has hazel coloured eyes people! :D


	9. Chapter 9

**A.N: _Woo, another quick update! Truth be told- I had so many different things planned for this chapter, but it all just came out as written here LOL! Also, I am currently really nervous about a job interview I have tomorrow, so I decided to work on this chapter just to keep my mind all happy and active. Thank you so much, Ninja and Womble for your beautiful, fantastic and amazing reviews! And thank you to the new followers and favouriters! :) I love you all! You guys inspire me to write more of this beautiful story! Also, it's kind of shameful to admit but I believe that this is the longest story I have ever posted on O_O YAY?! LOL_**

**_I hope you all enjoy this chapter- it's the PARTAY! It's heavy on fluff towards the end... and hints of momentary yaoi just because I needed to emphasise that someone isn't as saintly as we like to think he is ;)_**

**_Okay- on with the story! :D_**

**Edited: 17/02/2015  
**

* * *

**Chapter Eight-**

Maya frowned as she stared at the unfamiliar woman looking back at her with wide, terrified eyes. Dark, smoky eyes and red lipstick as bright as her baby brother's hair was _not_ what she had expected when Olivia had offered to provide Maya with a complete make-over for the party. Glancing down at her outfit, she couldn't help but blush as she quickly looked away from the sight of her pale, uncovered- yet barely-there collar bones. Maya had never felt so fat and gross in her entire life! She's always felt safe underneath her over-sized lab coat and her loose fitting blouse and black slacks. Tonight, however, there would be no chance of covering herself up if Olivia had anything to do with it.

It was Saturday evening and the small, doe-eyed blonde 'miracle-worker' (dubbed by Ms. Jennings on her own accord) was busy in the Sinclairs' bathroom, applying the 'finishing touches' to her already flawless, tan complexion. Maya felt her heart beat quicken as she inwardly panicked about her physical appearance. Olivia had assured her that she looked _stunning_ and _amazeballs_, but Maya couldn't help but feel that the small woman was obligated to say nice things to her because of some unspoken girl-code. The pudgy brunette heaved a forlorn sigh and tore her gaze from the reflection of the dress draped over her body in the mirror and practically fell on her butt, her bed cushioning her fall. Running her hands over the black mesh material overlaying the peach coloured gown, Maya quickly retracted her hands and settled for holding her arms to her chest.

The psychologist's eyes watered and her heart's rapid pace made is somewhat difficult for her to breathe as she pinched the soft flesh underneath her fingers. Oh, she felt _so_ disgusting and inadequate and she just wanted to stay at home and raid Reno's junk food drawer and hope she died of a heart attack from consuming all the fatty snacks and sugary confectionary. It would be much better than being the awkward, fat wall flower at a hip and happening party.

"Yo, Maya! Do I look sexy, or what?" Reno's cocky drawl entered her ears, snapping her out of her self-loathing. Clearing her throat and willing herself to calm down, she forced herself to look up at her brother and found herself smiling softly at the handsome red-head standing at her bedroom door.

"Oh, Reno… come here sweetie," Maya cooed, absolutely smitten by the smart picture Reno's tame appearance painted. Wearing a simple ensemble of black tailored pants, a crimson, cuffed long-sleeve shirt and a black button-up vest, Reno looked like a stylish male model, possibly from Costa del Sol. Standing up- albeit a little wobbly from her strappy, black sandal heels- Maya crossed the short distance Reno had left between them and reached up to straighten his adorable bow-tie. After finishing her little task, she stepped backwards and smiled up at him with genuine glee in her dark, warm eyes. Reno grinned back, a slight blush working its way up his neck and to his cheeks.

"Do I have somethin' on my face?" Reno asked awkwardly as Maya stared up at him in content awe. Snapping out of her daze at his question, Maya quickly shook her head, leaving a few of her well placed wavy bangs askew across her cheeks. Not really caring at that particular moment, Maya opened up her arms for a hug- to which Reno immediately conceded. The young psychologist sighed as Reno nestled his chin on her shoulder, leaning down in order to do so due to the height difference. "You're my special girl, ya know that right?" Reno whispered quietly, almost to the point that Maya didn't catch his words. However, she did, and she beamed as she nodded quietly before replying back to his oft-spoken question.

"I know… I love you too sweetie," Maya pulled back, clearing her throat from the emotional embrace before setting a blinding grin on her plum, red lips. "Now, how about we go and have some fun!" Reno grinned back and grabbed his older sister's hand, ready to drag her out of their apartment and towards the company car he'd been given as part of his promotion. Gasping at his over-zealousness, Maya squeezed his hand, catching his attention. Lobbing a slightly concerned look at her, he stopped in his tracks.

"You okay sis?" He inquired cautiously. Maya nodded, glancing up at him with amusement in her features.

"As well as I can be. It's just that… Olivia's still not done," Maya replied. Reno rolled his eyes as he let out an exasperated sigh. Letting go of his sister's clammy hand, he moved to walk past Maya and towards the bathroom where Olivia was taking her _sweet_ time to get ready. With an impatient frown fixed on the teen Turk's face, he pounded forcefully on the door. Maya winced as she heard a high pitched yelp resonate from within.

"_What_?" Olivia barked from within, sounding completely frustrated. Reno threw a slightly worried Maya a look of disbelief before gesturing at the door.

"Don't 'what' me, Ollie! What the hell are ya doin' in there? Watchin' your leg hair grow?" Maya winced again as an absolutely feral growl resonated from the bathroom before the lock clicked and an absolutely stunning -yet angry- looking woman dressed in a short, strapless black cocktail mini-dress. Her straightened blonde hair was collected at the base of her neck in a loose pony tail with her neat side fringe complimenting her small, pixie-like face. Her brown eyes were wide- and a little annoyed- with her make-up looking absolutely natural. Maya frowned at this- she would have preferred that style to what Olivia had done to her face. Shaking the doubtful thoughts from her mind, Maya beamed at the newly emerged woman.

"Wow, you look amazing!" Maya exclaimed excitedly. Forgetting her annoyance, Olivia grinned back at the excited introvert before her as she quickly stepped forward in her silver stilettos to grab Maya's hand and lead her out the door. Reno rolled his eyes at the two older women and made sure his keys were still in his pocket before he trailed after the two chattering women, a small smile finding its way to his lips as he watched his older sister's long gown swish elegantly as she walked.

She'd always be his special girl- no matter what.

* * *

Standing with a glass of malt scotch in his gloved hand, Genesis scowled at the people merrily carrying on their conversations around him. Decked out in a slim-fit maroon suit and plain, black dress-shirt, Genesis was drawing all kinds of attention. At that very moment, a woman from the Department of Urban Planning and Development (Genesis wasn't sure _what_ she actually did there) was clinging onto his left arm, giggling intermittently as Zack and Angeal partook in a comical conversation about Zack's last trip to Icicle Inn with his family.

"You're kidding. There's no way you're still alive if you ran into _five_ trees at that speed!" Angeal chuckled loudly. Kunsel shook his head, his shaggy brown hair falling into his surprisingly mesmerising eyes. Genesis scoffed at the thought.

'_Better not let that one slip around Reno, or else he'd have a field day with that particular opinion of mine,_" Genesis thought to himself. Zack squawked at something Angeal had said at that moment, however he didn't catch exactly what had been said since the annoying woman clinging to his arm tugged at him like he was wedged between a concrete wall and a train. Which he was not. He was merely trying to enjoy one of his _three_ allocated drinks for the evening.

Genesis scowled at the mental reminder of his 'limitation'. If he thought that turning up to the party would be good for him, he has obviously thought wrong.

"What?" Genesis asked sharply. The woman pouted and pointed towards the entrance.

"I really feel like letting off some steam. Maybe heading out to the balcony would be suitable..." she trailed off, a strangely hopeful look on her face as she seemed to lean closer to the Crimson Commander. Genesis leaned backwards, feeling somewhat disgusted at the proximity of the trashy woman. He was actually starting to feel sorry for himself, despite presuming that the woman trying to sexually harass him with her lips and body was the type of lady he'd usually have no qualms in messing with. Genesis smirked at this before quickly zoning back into the situation at hand. Everyone else was still absorbed in Angeal and Zack's lively banter, so what Genesis was about to say wouldn't scar the skanky woman for her whole social life… unfortunately. Not bothering to look up from his drink, he began his back handed insult.

"Well, don't stay around on my account. My arm's getting tired from supporting all of your weight. Hopefully you exercise a little more courtesy with the unfortunate soul you sink your claws into on the balcony," Genesis stated, his voice taking on a bored lilt. The woman looked up at him, with her heavily made-up eyes wide in shock before she let go of the Commander's arm like it was on fire (chances were that it probable was-knowing his track record) and sauntered off with as much dignity a skank such as herself could muster up.

Genesis sighed. He was being unfair… she was the skanky daughter of some poor set of souls. He'd probably find out who they are and send them his condolences for spawning that unfortunate burden…

After spending a few short moments sipping his first drink of the night, he was slightly upset to see that it was already finished. Frowning slightly, Genesis set the glass down on the bar and let his eyes wander around the elegant room. Just before his gaze drifted past the buffet table (oh goodness, _the buffet table_), his eyes were drawn to the Silver General's extremely awkward positioning near the assortment of cutlery and napkins. Raising an eyebrow, Genesis decided to approach the suited perfection, if only to get a rise out of the impassive man.

After a few moments of angrily wrestling his way through a cheery, dancing crowd, Genesis raised his gloved hand in a lazy salute. Sephiroth merely nodded before gazing out into the distance, looking dazed next to the cutlery and napkins. Feeling awkward, Genesis opened his mouth to say something. However, the soft baritone that cut him off gave away the fact that Sephiroth had beaten him to the chase. Quickly shutting his mouth, he turned to watch his dear rival speak what may have been potential words of wisdom (because all the drivel that fell out of Sephiroth's _perfect_ lips had to be the wisest words anyone had ever had the pleasure of hearing… ugh!)

Genesis internally reprimanded himself for crudely being an arrogant dickhead. Turning his full attention on the Silver General, Genesis tilted his head, hoping he looked the part of an interested listener.

"I've been here since the party commenced. I have not found any apt company, so I must thank you for joining me Genesis," Sephiroth stated, almost robotically. Genesis suppressed a shiver and nodded before gesturing at the cutlery on the table directly behind them.

"Is the cutlery section of the buffet line the best point of vantage in the room, General?" Genesis quipped, half sarcastic and half serious. You never knew with Sephiroth- the man was a social disaster.

Not that being a notorious pyromaniac was any better…

Sephiroth merely chose to level Genesis with a dry look before shaking his head, his long silver tied and braided down his back. Genesis withheld the strong urge to tug on the long braid and opted to shove his hands in his pockets, where they were safer and well behaved.

"I hope you are joking about that. Anyone with eyes could see this spot is _terrible_ for surveying one's surroundings," Sephiroth stated seriously. Genesis blinked at Sephiroth's reply, not having anything to say to that.

Noting the awkward silence surrounding the two famous SOLDIERs, Genesis was about to silently take his leave when Sephiroth let out an uncharacteristic gasp.

Quickly glancing at the Silver General, Genesis caught his green, feline gaze following a figure in the crowd. Following Sephiroth's awestruck gaze, Genesis' own mouth immediately dropped towards the floor as he spied a… pleasantly strange looking Maya standing next to quite a classy, small woman. Beside them stood a bored looking Reno who appeared to be on the receiving end of a lecture by a uniform-clad Tseng. Genesis shook his head, feeling real pity for the red-head; Reno couldn't catch a break even at his own celebratory party.

Letting his gaze fall back on the strange sight that was Maya in a dress, Genesis found himself feeling quite warm despite the cool air-conditioning permeating the humid air. Reaching a gloved hand up to loosen his black and white tie, he barely caught what Sephiroth had been saying.

"… she's looks exquisite." Sephiroth breathed beside him. Genesis immediately whirled on the Silver General, feeling a surge of protectiveness for the lab-rat. Sharply poking Sephiroth's bicep, Genesis caught the taller man's attention.

"Who do you think you're drooling over, _General_?" Genesis sneered. Sephiroth's eyes widened in surprise a he took a small step back from the temperamental Commander.

"I was not aware that there was digestive discharge being excreted from my oral cavity," Sephiroth hurriedly stated, visibly distressed at the thought of drooling in public. Genesis raised his eyebrows despite his initial anger at the man as the Silver General haphazardly groped for some napkins before promptly rubbing at the corners of his lips with a frown planted firmly on his face.

Genesis would have face-palmed had it not been for the pressing matter of finding out whether Sephiroth was messing around with his _office-mate_!

"Oh, for the Goddess' sake! Don't look at Maya with those lecherous eyes of yours. General or not- I will skin you alive!" Genesis declared, his voice low and menacing. Sephiroth glared at Genesis as the shorter man finished his threat.

"I do not and _will never_ look upon any woman with lecherous eyes," Sephiroth leaned close to Genesis, so that their noses were nearly touching. Not one to back down, Genesis glared up right into Sephiroth's blazing eyes. "And as lovely as Maya looks tonight, my eyes have been drawn to another." Sephiroth finished casually, his eyes still flaring with outrage. Genesis relaxed slightly, breathing softly onto Sephiroth's pale cheek as the taller man's words registered in his mind.

_My eyes have been drawn to another…_

Genesis' eyes widened as he stumbled backwards in shock of the General's casual revelation.

"You… you're _interested_ in someone!" Genesis exclaimed loudly, pointing dramatically at Sephiroth, who began to squirm uncomfortably on his spot as a few curious heads turned in his direction. Scowling at the dramatic auburn-headed man, Sephiroth stepped forward and seized Genesis' arm before dragging him towards the men's bathroom.

The last coherent sound Genesis could remember hearing before being shoved into a men's room cubicle with a panicked Sephiroth following close behind was a suspiciously high-pitched wolf-whistle…

* * *

Maya's eyes widened as she watched Sephiroth drag a dramatic Genesis into the men's room. Olivia let out a loud, high pitched wolf-whistle before screaming out a rumour that would haunt the two SOLDIERs for the rest of their careers.

"_Seph's gonna bone Gen tonight!_" Olivia screeched, inciting loud wolf-whistles and cat-calls from the surrounding crowd. Frowning in distaste, Maya pulled herself away from Olivia's grasp and promptly wrestled her way out of the centre of the crowd and towards a suitable area to sit.

Maya let a tear slip out of her eye as she yawned tiredly and registered just how much her feet were aching. Running a hand through her stiff hair- thanks to the wonders of hair spray- she felt some comfort come back to her when her bangs weren't making a nuisance of themselves, ticking her cheeks every time she made a slight movement. Tiredly rubbing at her eyes- completely forgetting about the make-up on her face- Maya yawned again miserably. Fishing her PHS out of her borrowed clutch, she noted that it was still early.

_10:47 pm._

Sighing forlornly, Maya let a few more tired tears leak from her eyes before she slumped in her seat and opted to close her eyes for a little while.

'_Just until I feel better…_' Maya reasoned with herself before she drifted off into a restless sleep, despite the loud music shaking up the room around her.

* * *

Genesis listened to Sephiroth methodically ramble on about what had happened the evening before at his office and the continuation of said events at _Maya's place of all places_. Genesis reigned in his anger, opting to hear the confused man out before he tore the guy to pieces in a toilet cubicle. Then again… Sephiroth could easily turn the whole ordeal and blast Genesis with his own fist of fury.

Genesis zoned back into Sephiroth's story just as he was going into detail about some flower. Genesis raised a hand, halting Sephiroth's speech immediately. The younger man stared across the toilet at Genesis who was leaning on the other side of the cramped cubicle, with a bemused grin on his face.

"What is it?" Sephiroth inquired, his breath hitching slightly. Genesis chuckled slightly before adjusting his footing before he stared right into the General's eyes.

"I must ask: why did you gift your secretary with a flower in the first place?" Sephiroth sighed at this, raising a hand to scratch at the back of his neck almost bashfully.

"Dr. Sinclair advised me that performing one good deed a day would help with my anti-social tendencies," Sephiroth stated simply. Genesis nodded, seeing flashes of a curvaceous Maya Sinclair walking through the rag-tag party crowd- looking absolutely miserable. Blinking rapidly to clear the mental picture, Genesis turned his head back up to Sephiroth, who stood awkwardly still, waiting for a response.

Genesis sighed and raised an eyebrow at the younger man.

"Of all the flowers to hand to her, you had to pick the one that symbolised _eternal love_, didn't you?" Sephiroth scowled at Genesis' sarcastic tone. Crossing his arms securely against his chest, the silver-haired man shook his head slightly as he addressed the older man across from him.

"I was not aware that red tulips signified—" Sephiroth's angry retort was cut short by a familiar, annoying PHS ring tone. Genesis raised his eyebrows as Sephiroth promptly fished the communication device from his back pocket and flipped it open. "What is it Fair?" Sephiroth asked, clearly not in the mood for nonsense as his problem still wasn't resolved and his difficult questions about Olivia and his own frightening physiological symptoms that came to rise from the _thought_ of her were still a complete mystery to him.

Genesis watched as Sephiroth's face morphed from annoyed, to concerned, to absolutely horrified in the span of mere seconds before he quickly shut his PHS and unlocked the cubicle, shoving Genesis out in the process. Groaning in slightly protest, Genesis let Sephiroth drag him back out into the party, his curiosity about what could have possibly brought upon such a terrified look on Sephiroth's fearless facial features (could facial features be fearless?) overpowering his need to hold dominance over the younger and seemingly more successful man.

Genesis soon got his answers, adopting the same shocked and horrified look Sephiroth's face still held, as they spotted Angeal and Zack _singing_ to each other in a drunken stupor as they clumsily slow danced amongst a cheering crowd of spectators. Genesis spotted Sephiroth's receptionist looking flushed as she cat-called while attempting to chug down two tequila shots simultaneously.

"_Oh~ this friendship! I will never let it go. And if I ever let it go, I'll still never let you go! Oh~ this friendship~!"_ Zack sang, completely off-tune. Angeal emotionally clapped his pupil on the back, hiccupping as he tripped over his own feet.

"That was beautiful Zack! _You are sooooo beautiful… to me. Ooooh~! So beautiful, to me~!"_ was Angeal's reply. Genesis stared at the two drunk SOLDIERs, belatedly realising that Angeal was a hypocrite. Genesis smirked as he let the two continue making a spectacle of themselves for a few moments longer, revelling in the fact that _he_ was the one in complete control this evening. He hadn't started any brawls, he hadn't screwed anyone against an alleyway. He hadn't played beer pong in a suit. He hadn't smashed Heideggar's face into the punch bowl. Nothing… Genesis was… finally the responsible one.

"Oh Goddess, you do exist," Genesis mumbled happily to himself before turning to a blushing Sephiroth. Raising his eyebrows at the taller man, he followed the man's bashful green gaze and let his mouth drop for the second time that night as he watched Olivia perform a pseudo-strip tease (as she didn't have much on in the first place- she had only taken off her shoes) while almost glaring right into Sephiroth's eyes with the intensity of the Sun's rays on a summer's day. Genesis couldn't help but think that the uptight General was finally going to get laid that night. Shaking the lewd thoughts from his mind, Genesis nudged Sephiroth sharply with his elbow. Jumping slightly, Sephiroth allowed himself to be pulled out of Olivia's trance. Tearing his eyes away from the small package of sexy, Sephiroth tilted his head in question at the older man. Genesis didn't have the time to revel in the moment of complete power he'd been afforded at that moment, as Zack had begun to take off his shirt in time with the music.

"_If you're sexy and you know it, clap your hands~! If you're sexy and you know it, and you really wanna show it, if you're sexy and you know it- clap your hands, oooh yeah yeah~!"_ Genesis cringed at the distasteful music and shot a pleading glance Sephiroth.

"You try to get Olivia to put her shoes back on while I deal with Zachary and Angeal, okay?" Genesis noted the look of apprehension on Sephiroth's face. Setting aside his rivalry, Genesis smiled up at the uncomfortable man- catching the Silver General off guard momentarily. "Hey, if you can go fight a war, you can definitely convince a cute girl who's obviously as smitten for you as you are for her to put on her shoes." With that said, Genesis squeezed the taller man's bicep in a display of support before scowling as he dived between the two rapidly undressing, raven haired SOLDIERs.

The Crimson Commander's work was _never_ done.

* * *

Reno frowned as he was finally dismissed from Tseng's constant company that evening. It turned out that Turks never really had the opportunity to 'celebrate' their promotion. Rather, it was more like a test of their control, alertness and abstinence. The younger Sinclair hadn't even had the opportunity to guzzle down one drink before Tseng had swooped down upon him like the ninja he was to promptly begin a sermon about 'always acting in a way that benefitted the company's interests'. Reno scoffed as he kicked a stray plastic cup across the raging dance floor. Hearing a squawk of protest come from within the crowed, the red-head allowed himself a small smile. Letting his aquamarine eyes skim his surroundings, he did a double take as he spotted Zack and Angeal being dragged out of the crowd by a sober, exasperated Genesis Rhapsodos. Following the Crimson Commander was none other but the Silver General, a pretty blonde curled up contently in his arms. Reno found himself chuckling as he spotted a pair of silver heels being grasped in one of Sephiroth's hands.

Searching the crowd, Reno saw no sign of his older sister. Frowning at this, he approached the tired looking Commander.

Genesis sighed in relief as an evidently sober Renaldo Sinclair appeared from his peripheral vision. Ignoring the drunken protests (and misplaced affections) from the men in his grasp, Genesis offered Reno a tired nod in greeting. Reno waved back, a slightly bewildered look on his face, especially at the sight of an overly affectionate Angeal. Genesis rolled his eyes and gestured at his childhood best friend with his teal eyes.

"Alcohol and 'Geal are _never_ a good combination. I don't know _how _Zack managed to get him to drink as much as he did," Genesis explained. Nodding dumbly, Reno decided to leave that matter for another time. He had a sister to locate.

"Sorry to ask this man but, uh, have you seen Maya hanging around?" A tiny moment of silence followed Reno's question before Genesis groaned in exhaustion. Without another word, Genesis practically threw his two burdens at a surprised red-head before mumbling something about '_finding the lab-rat'_. Reno frowned at this, but couldn't do or say much as he'd immediately been assaulted by both an overly affectionate wolf and pup.

Reno couldn't help but wish Maya was close by, just so he could sic the two touchy men back on Genesis the moment he came back with his big sis in tow.

* * *

Genesis growled to himself, feeling irrationally angry at Maya as he searched for her. He couldn't help but think that she was with some incredibly intelligent man from the science department who was equally as out-of-place as she was at the party. He couldn't stop himself from picturing Maya blushing violently as some random faceless, bespectacled (and bald) male scientist grasped her clammy hand in his own…

As his over-active imagination played out the surprisingly horrific scenario, he'd failed to notice a pair of black sandal heels placed inconveniently in his path. Stumbling over them, Genesis cursed loudly as he fell onto his knees. Feeling the tell-tale wetness of a spilled drink seep through his expensive tailored pants at the knees, Genesis growled angrily. A familiar whimper broke through his blind rage. Quickly turning towards the source, he couldn't help but gasp in quiet shock as he took in the missing Sinclair's appearance.

Her brown, wavy hair was matted. Her eye make-up was such a runny mess, she looked like a drowned raccoon. Her dress was wrinkled and one of the spaghetti straps were very close to sliding off her shoulder.

Genesis had seen many beautiful girls during his time as a famous SOLDIER. They had even thrown themselves at him- trying so hard to be the lucky one who would occupy his mind day-in-day-out.

The Crimson Commanded gulped dryly as he slowly got back to his feet. Maya shrunk back in her seat, her eyes watering as she stared up at him with wide, miserable eyes. Genesis couldn't help but take a step closer, despite her obvious fear of him.

"I-I'm s-s-so sorry… I d-d-didn't realise—" Maya began to blubber, her words coming out as choked sobs as Genesis still took small steps towards her. Being only half a meter away from her, Genesis stopped and merely stared at the mess in front of him- absolutely captivated. Reaching out with a gloved hand, he tried to grasp her chin as she averted her gaze and started to breathe irregularly. Catching himself, Genesis frowned at his hand before reaching over with the other hand and pulling the glove off.

That was much better.

Reaching forward again, he shivered as he felt her soft skin on the pads of his fingers. Giving her a slight caress he kneeled down before her, averting his gaze- suddenly feeling uncomfortable with his actions.

Where was all of this coming from?

'_Genesis, you're such a good boy…'_ Gillian's voice echoed in his mind. Shaking his head, Genesis raised his eyes so they could meet Maya's scared, dark orbs.

Taking in her appearance, Genesis could truly say he's never seen a more _interesting_ person in his life.

He spoke before he could even process what he was doing.

"Let's… go home. This party is beyond terrible." Maya hiccupped before nodding. As she moved to stand, Genesis brought his hands to her shoulders and forced her to sit down.

Maya shot him a confused look, her eyebrows furrowed cutely. Genesis couldn't help but smile at the thought. Sure, she wasn't beautiful… but she was definitely cute. That could work…

Clearing his throat, Genesis diverted his gaze to the falling strap of her dress. Following his gaze, Maya gasped in surprise and shame.

"Oh my…" She moved to set the strap right, but Genesis slapped her hand away gently, bringing his un-gloved hand up to set it right himself. Trailing his gaze back up to Maya's flushed face, he stared at her awkwardly.

Maya tried to stand up again. Genesis forced her back down again.

Another moment of silence passed before Genesis mustered up something to say.

"Do your feet hurt?" He inquired, almost casually. Maya stared up at the Crimson Commander with wide eyes, too tired to even believe what was happening before her eyes was true. Passing it off as a dream, she nodded. Her feet _were_ quite sore. Genesis nodded and then turned to the shoes that had inadvertently brought him to her. Letting them dangle on his wrist, he backed up so that his back was facing Maya. Maya frowned in confusion. She didn't know what he was doing.

"Get on my back. I'll carry you," Maya gasped, immediately standing up. However, in her hungry, anxious, confused and sore state, she clumsily fell onto Genesis' back. Blushing violently, Maya felt herself rise as arms looped around her thighs to keep her securely in place. If Maya had been blushing before, she was absolutely on fire now. Not only because the incredibly handsome Commander was giving her a piggy-back ride in public, but also because she looked like an absolute wreck and _knew_ that she hadn't impressed _anyone_ that evening despite Reno and Olivia's encouraging protests.

And most of all, she was embarrassed because Genesis _had_ to have felt that she was a little more 'heavy-set' than the type he was allegedly used to…

Before her mind could continue on her self-deprecating line of thought, Genesis's aristocratic voice reached her ears.

"Go ahead and sleep, I'm here now." He simply stated.

Maya, despite all her reservations and anxiety, found herself relaxing into the comforting heat of his strong, warm back. He was like a furnace! With his reassuring words, Maya couldn't help but feel safe in his grasp.

Which was ironic, because it was the thought of having the man's hands on her that had brought her the most anxiety ever since the choking incident almost a month prior.

Maya found herself smiling as she stiffly let herself 'relax' on Genesis' back, drifting off into a fitful sleep.

Funny… how things work out.

* * *

**Note/ fun fact:**So, the 'friend song' is actually a very crude translation of a retro bollywood song my father and his soccer pals used to sing all the time when they got drunk at functions, and I just pictured Zack serenading Angeal and... yeah! And then Angeal is singing... well you all know what song I'm talking about HAHAHA! And the 'sexy and you know it' song is actually 112's 'Dance with Me' hehe :D I heard it at the gym yesterday and was like "oh my gosh.. THIS MUST HAPPEN IN THE FIC! I DON'T CARE WHO, WHY OR WHAT BUT IT HAS TO HAPPEN!" Okay, that's enough for now- wish me luck for my job interview guys :) *hearts* *I can't believe I updated BOTH of my fics today... Turk 4 Life is heading to bed now xD*


	10. Chapter 10

**A.N: _Hi all! Sorry for the extreme lateness in the update. Definitely feeling terrible for leaving everyone hanging. I'm happy to say that I GOT THE JOB! Thanks for all your well-wishes! You guys are the best readers ever! :) *hearts* Also, the Asian Cup (soccer/football tournament thingie) is on here in Australia so I'm super into it right now because I wanted to see how much the Socceroos improved since the world cup- and let me tell you, I am NOT disappointed. WE'RE IN THE FINALS BABY! :D Ah, anyways- thanks to all the new readers, old readers, favourites, followers, reviewers, viewers, passers-by xD YOU'RE ALL AMAZING! :D_**

**_On with the story! Enjoy :)_**

**Edited: 17/02/2015.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine-**

The Crimson Commander was surprised to find himself willingly waltzing into his shared 'office' in the early hours of the morning. Pushing the sliding door open, Genesis almost spilt his scalding hot coffee all over himself as his whole body expressed the extreme surprise he got when he saw Dr. Maya Sinclair slumped over her desk, feverishly scribbling on a psychological report. With effort, Genesis managed to shut his mouth and re-work his grip around his coffee before taking a casual sip and making his way to his own desk.

As he settled himself, he chanced a glance at Maya and found himself disappointed when she continued to feverishly work her pen across paper. Placing his coffee down to the side, away from his keyboard, Genesis straightened up and crossed his arms. His teal gaze regarded Maya with a critical glint.

'She sure is dedicated to her work," Genesis mused to himself. 'She didn't even notice me walk in. Impressive.' Genesis nodded to himself, watching Maya frown at her report before moving to scribble out a sentence. Her eyebrows were furrowed in slight frustration and her pink tongue was sticking out slightly from the corner of her mouth in concentration. Genesis found himself examining the psychologist's cherubic lips. They looked very… kissable.

Genesis rolled his eyes as the thought crossed his mind.

"Do not go there, Commander," Genesis muttered to himself before pushing the power-on button on his PC system and getting to work. He hoped to get all his work down early, just so he could escape from the awkwardness he felt in the clumsy lab-rat's presence.

Sneaking another glance at Maya, Genesis found himself hissing as he caught her biting her lower lip in confusion before pouting. A surge of desire coursed through his veins as he tried to control his rapid breaths.

She had no idea what she was doing to him.

With one final glance at her chocolate-brown hair, Genesis let out a soft sigh at the memory of the very same locks ticking the nape of his neck as she napped- albeit stiffly-upon his back as they left the party. Gulping dryly, Genesis quickly averted his gaze and tried not to take in her sweet, fruity scent while he tried to get his work done for the day.

Maya was making everything _so_ complicated.

Since the moment he'd laid his eyes on her, she'd begun to complicate everything.

And strangely… Genesis was perfectly okay with that.

* * *

The first thing the Silver General did when he saw Olivia Jennings propped up at her desk, wearing her form fitting pencil skirt, black heels and stylish black and white striped blouse was turn on his heel and lock himself in his office. Fully knowing that his actions were irrational, Sephiroth couldn't care less as he fought hard with his strange feelings to complete his set work for the day- as expected from the efficient General.

However, when Olivia knocked timidly on his door, Sephiroth let out a surprised grunt before taking a moment to calm his breathing and then proceeding to quickly make his way towards his office's door. Steeling his expression, Sephiroth wrenched the door open- only to find the small woman warily smiling up at him.

"What is it, Ms. Jennings?" The General inquired, his voice gruff with repressed emotion. Olivia raised a plastic bag full of take-away so that it was in his direct line of sight. Tilting her head to the side, she grinned openly at the tall man standing before her.

"Thought you'd be hungry," she started. Pushing her way into Sephiroth's office, Olivia neatly placed the take-away food on the General's desk and turned on her heel to face the befuddled man. "So I got you steak and steamed vegetables with gravy!" The small receptionist exclaimed. When this didn't warrant any reaction from Sephiroth, she averted her glance from the man and wrung her hands together as she spoke bashfully. "Maya said you'd like it…"

The two stood in Sephiroth's office, looking and feeling extremely awkward until the Silver General unexpectedly spoke up.

"Thank you, Olivia." The small blonde looked up at Sephiroth through her long eye-lashes and flashed him a shy smile. Sephiroth found himself stiffly smiling back as she replied quietly.

"You're welcome, General." Sephiroth let out a short sigh at this.

"I thought I'd already made it clear that I preferred to be called 'Sephiroth'," Olivia nodded quickly, stuttering slightly over her words, recalling the night that had brought her closer to her General. Olivia almost giggled at the thought of calling Sephiroth 'hers'.

He wasn't hers.

Not yet, anyways.

Olivia found herself grinning impishly as she nodded enthusiastically at the tall man. Sephiroth remained rooted to his spot in front of Olivia, enthralled by the many changes her expression took. Her small, beautiful features were fascinating indeed!

"O-oh yes! Sorry, Sephiroth." Sephiroth silently shook his head- dismissing her apology. He glanced briefly at his meal before resting his eyes on Olivia's hazel orbs.

"Will you join me?" Sephiroth almost winced at the high tone his voice had taken, out of nervousness. It was strange- he was asking a perfectly logical question as it appeared to be lunch time for all employees- yet here he was acting like a pre-pubescent teenager asking an extremely attractive girl out to the school dance! Or so he thought, since Sephiroth had never indulged in any such frivolities in his youth.

Not that he was old. Sephiroth shook his head slightly, his eyes troubled. He wasn't old, damn it!

Though, standing next to the ever-youthful and bubbly Olivia could change that perception.

While Sephiroth worried about his perceived age within his mind, Olivia squirmed before the Silver General, feeling herself sweat under his sharp, concentrated gaze. Her thoughts briefly wandered to her warm, home-made chicken and potato soup with rice and a side of apple juice sitting on her desk, just waiting to be devoured.

As she thought about her food, her head lolled to the side. She could eat with the General. That wouldn't be _too_ bad. He'd already carried her drunk ass out of a party- sharing an office for a quiet lunch couldn't possibly be as mortifying.

"Um, okay." Olivia finally replied, snapping Sephiroth out of his own thoughts. He regarded her critically as she walked backwards through his office door, smiling at his with a strange emotion coming through her eyes. Sephiroth's eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion. He couldn't find a name for what he saw in her alluring eyes. All he knew was that the emotion was directed at him.

"I'll clear the desk," Sephiroth stated, a matter-of-factly. Olivia smiled, gesturing at her desk as she moved backwards slowly.

"I'll go get my meal."

Sephiroth nodded and got to work as Olivia left his line of sight. Glancing up briefly, just to make sure no one could see him, the usually stoic General allowed himself to grin briefly before he steeled his features once again and set about re-arranging his already immaculate desk so that it was worthy of a lunch-date.

The Silver General blushed slightly at his thought.

Was it a lunch date?

He looked up as he heard Olivia's heels click closer. She was sniffing her food, a look of delight painted across her features. Sephiroth couldn't hide his smile at the sight of the small, smiling receptionist. Olivia looked up from her container and grinned happily at the tall man.

"Thanks Seph," she stated simply before settling down opposite him and chowing down. Sephiroth hummed in acknowledgement and sat himself down, pulling out his delicious meal and preparing himself to enjoy and savour every bite of it- just so Olivia might stay in his company for a little while longer.

Not that he's ever admit to stopping to such levels though. He had an image to maintain as the Silver General.

Sephiroth smiled into his food as he stole a glance at Olivia who happily sipped her apple juice before shovelling a spoon of rice into her mouth.

He was more than happy to tear his image to shreds in front of his fun-sized receptionist.

* * *

Maya frowned at the Cadet Psychological Screenings Summary sitting in front of her. The cherubic looking youth barely looked a day older than fourteen. However, his clear, blue eyes held within them a strong determination that could only be rivalled by Zack Fair's constant need to prove himself a hero. The psychologist sighed and lifted her pen, getting ready to sign her authorisation. He seemed like a brilliant, pliable young mind. Perfect for the ShinRa Army. Who was she to take his chance at glory away from him?

The young psychologist glanced at the top corner of the summary, only to have her deep brown eyes widen in surprise as they took in the name of the potential cadet's home town.

_Nibelheim_.

Shaking her head, Maya pressed her pen down and signed her name neatly before sliding the documentation into an envelope. The cadet would have his first meeting with the Drill Sergeants (most-probably SOLDIER Second-Class personnel) if Commander Genesis Rhapsodos gave the okay for Cloud Strife to join the ShinRa Military ranks.

Maya blushed at the thought of the Crimson Commander, who at that very moment, sat just opposite her. Glancing up shyly, Maya secretly admired the man's sharp jaw-line clenched in concentration as he typed up his late report on his mission to Rocket Town. Nearly gasping out loud as he smirked at his screen, Maya averted her gaze- quickly looking for more work to do.

"I have done it. It's finally complete," Genesis dramatically sighed as he leaned back on his office chair. Maya whimpered quietly out of pure instinct. The auburn haired man spared Maya a short glance before standing up and stretching his arms over his head. "It's past noon- you must be famished." Genesis stated in a casual tone. Maya refused to look up from her scrap paper, continuing to sign her name on the paper over and over again just so it looked like she was doing something productive.

Unluckily for her, Genesis' eye-sight was very keen, and he noticed her scribbling was nothing but a ruse. The Crimson Commander smirked and walked over to Maya's desk, coming to a stand-still behind her as he peered over her shoulder.

"That has got to be the most _forgeable _signature I have ever seen," he muttered. Maya jumped and threw her upper body over her scrap paper in a panicked frenzy.

'Why is he so close?' Maya thought to herself as she attempted to bury her flushed face into her desk.

Seeing this, Genesis couldn't help but grin widely. She was so… unstable.

It was kind of sweet.

Laying a hand on Maya's shoulder, he squeezed gently, inciting a sharp intake of breath from the lab-rat. Genesis himself felt as if his heart was pumping at an inhuman speed. Although, he wasn't too sure why. As a matter of fact, he wasn't exactly sure why he was suddenly paying so much attention to the average, lab-coat favouring woman in the first place.

It was funny how life worked itself out.

Genesis frowned slightly in confusion before fixing a soft smile on his face a moment later.

He'd just ride all these new feelings out as they came. After all, what else could he do?

"I'm feeling a little weak at the knees and I'm sure you're not in any better. Let's go to the cafeteria and grab some lunch. I'm sure they have something that can satisfy both our tastes," Genesis offered. After a moment of stiffness, Maya's shoulder relaxed slightly as she raised herself from her crouched position.

Looking up at the Crimson Commander, the young psychologist offered Genesis a shaky smile before stumbling out of her office chair and self-consciously leading the way to the cafeteria with a deliriously happy Genesis Rhapsodos in her wake.

* * *

"_How did you even KNOW Sephiroth took Olivia home, of all things?_" Zack shouted/whispered, holding his half eaten ham and cheese toasted sandwich in his hand. Kunsel grinned and shrugged before taking a bite out of his tuna salad. Zack watched his friend with his jaw agape as the pretty boy wolfed down his late lunch with gusto.

"I have connections. Not as extensive as the Turks- but I'm working on it. I heard some Turk called Cissnei has some killer contacts!" Kunsel exclaimed enthusiastically before shovelling more tuna salad into his mouth. Zack grimaced at the sight, taking a bite of his own ham and cheese. After swallowing the cold food, Zack looked up and smirked at his friend.

"Jealous much?"

"Not really. And at least I don't walk around the building like I was born yesterday. Oh hey, look! It's Angeal!" At this Zack immediately dived underneath the table the two young men were seated at. Kunsel momentarily choked on his food before growling and kicking the hiding Zack under the table.

"Ouch, man help a brother out! Don't feed him to the wolves!" Zack exclaimed softly, rubbing his bruised ribs. He'd need a potion for that, definitely. Maybe he could get a free sample from the front lobby…

Kunsel scoffed before finishing off his tuna salad and standing up to leave.

"Yeah, whatever Mr. I-love-Angeal. I'm out of here, so see ya," Kunsel concluded, mirth in his tone before walking away. Zack stuck his tongue out at his retreating friend before tucking himself against the wall that was adjacent to the table.

Hopefully the man who'd just allegedly walked into the cafeteria wouldn't find him. That would save both parties a lot of awkwardness.

* * *

Maya stood in the queue in front of Genesis, staring up at the menu board. Maya looked up in wonderment while Genesis had his patented 'bitch-face' fixed on his features as he usually did in public.

Maya couldn't help but gawk at the over-priced food items on the board. A small apple juice was being sold for a whopping twenty gil! If she wanted a decent meal, she'd have to forego her favourite beverage. With a forlorn sigh, Maya resigned herself to drinking cups of luke-warm water from the broken cooler in the cafeteria.

* * *

Genesis sneered at the board, disgusted at the basic foods on offer. _Ham and cheese_? Was that even a balanced meal? The only meal worthy of being called nutritious was the fruit salad- and the Goddess only knew how many _weeks_ old that stuff was.

Withholding a groan as they approached the front of the line, Genesis decided to take his chances with the fermented fruit salad. He wouldn't be caught dead with a ham and cheese toasted sandwich!

"Hello dearie, what can I get for you?" Genesis sneered at the cafeteria lady from behind the short psychologist who seemed to be smiling warmly at the stocky woman behind the counter. A pang of jealously coursed through the Crimson Commander. Why didn't she ever smile at _him_ like that?

"Hello, I think I'll have… the ham and cheese. Thank you!" Maya chirped quietly. Genesis nodded his head at Maya's choice. Of course, there was a reason she wasn't exactly _lean_. Not that there was anything wrong with being soft… oh Goddess she was so soft!

Genesis promptly shook his head as he came face to face with a beaming cafeteria lady.

"And what will you be having, handsome?" Genesis smirked at this. Oh yes, despite his mental instability around Dr. Maya Sinclair, it seemed that he still hadn't lost his special touch with the ladies.

"I'll have your fruit salad with a bottle of mineral water- _from the Northern Crater_\- and," Genesis glanced at Maya's hands, which only held a wrapped ham and cheese. After a few seconds of pondering, Genesis turned back and smiled at the cafeteria lady. "I'll have a can of Banora Apple Juice." Genesis smirked as the cafeteria lady went to fetch his order. Maya seemed the type to like sweet things- why not introduce her to the delights of his own creation of Banora Apple Juice?

This was perfect!

Saying thank you (and throwing in a complimentary wink) Genesis walked towards Maya and gestured towards an empty table in the corner of the cafeteria. It was adjacent to a wall and offered a good view of the room. What could he say, SOLDIER training was hard-wired into his daily life.

The short brunette nodded in agreement and made a beeline towards the table. Settling herself into the corner, against the wall, Maya placed her ham and cheese sandwich in front of her and looked up at Genesis.

The Crimson Commander merely smirked and sat opposite the nervous woman. His feet his something strange, but he didn't pay too much attention to it. Looking into warm, deep brown eyes, Genesis spoke.

"What are you waiting for? Your food will get cold," Maya flushed and nodded jerkily, lifting her sandwich to her mouth. However, before she took a bite, she gasped slightly and placed it back down on the table. Genesis frowned at this. Did she have issues with eating in front of people? That was some kind of eating disorder, wasn't it?

A symptom of Bulimia Nervosa or something?

"What's wrong?" Genesis inquired genuinely as Maya quickly stood up, abandoning her meal. Locking gazes with Genesis, Maya offered him a sheepish smile.

"Um, I'm just going to get something to drink from the water cooler," she trailed off embarrassedly. "Excuse me." Before Maya could move any further, Genesis sighed and shot his hand out- stopping her from moving. The little skin exposed on her wrists were soft and warm. Fighting off a shiver, Genesis shook his head at her.

"I've taken care of that," he pushed the can of apple juice to her side of the table before pushing her back to her seated position. "Take a seat and start on your meal, Maya." The brunette merely nodded, flushed a violent shade of pink at his surprisingly gentle touch and kindness.

Genesis found himself smiling at the extremely nervous-no- _shy_ woman in front of him.

Stabbing his fork into a piece of surprisingly fresh watermelon, Genesis happily watched Maya scrutinise the can before her face lit up in a delighted smile.

Oh yes, that smile- that was all his doing.

* * *

Maya found herself grinning like Palmer at a seafood buffet when she realised what she was going to be drinking.

Sure, apple juice was her favourite beverage, but she'd only ever had Banora Apple Juice once in her life. That was back when she and Reno lived in the slums. Reno had stolen a whole case from a shipment container fresh from Banora. However, a few of the older slum kids in Sector 7 had beaten her baby brother and stolen most of his loot. Still, being the resourceful and intelligent kid he was, Reno had somehow managed to scavenge back two cans of the delicious drink. Sure, Maya had given him an earful for stealing and picking the wrong battles, but sharing the apple juice with her baby brother in the stifling heat under the Sector 7 Plate was one of Maya's more light-hearted memories.

She had only been fourteen at the time… Which made Reno a teensy weensy boy of ten.

Maya's smile fell a little.

She couldn't even protect her baby brother. So he had to pick up the slack and protect her instead. Maya couldn't help but think of how much of a mess she was.

"You don't like what I picked?" Genesis' aristocratic voice interrupted her angst-laden thoughts. Maya jumped and made eye-contact with the Crimson Commander, who was now leisurely sipping at his bottle of chilled mineral water. A quick glance down at his contained showed that he'd finished his fruit salad. Maya tried not to gape at this as it had only been three minutes at most that she'd spaced out.

"Um, it's not that. It's really good stuff. I've only had it once before, so I was just reminiscing," Maya trailed off, a little taken-aback from the smile on Genesis' lips. After a few moments of silence between the two, Maya tore her eyes from the handsome Commander and took a bite from her cooling sandwich.

"You didn't stutter," Genesis spoke suddenly. Maya looked up from her bite, a confused look on her face. Genesis was still smiling. "You usually stutter when you speak to me, Dr. Sinclair." The Commander cleared up. Maya sat silently before nodding slowly, taking another bite of her meal. After swallowing, she offered the man a small smile.

"I guess not. You know, I'm not… perpetually nervous," Maya started, her tone slightly humorous. Genesis found himself breaking character even more at this realisation as he grinned back, leaning his elbows on the table as he sat forward.

"Oh really? I beg to differ." Maya frowned at this, not thinking as she ripped off a piece of toasted crust and threw it at Genesis. The Crimson Commander's eyes widened as the crumb flew into his silky locks. After a few moments, Maya seemed to register in her mind what she's actually done. Letting out a sharp gasp, she stood up from her seat and leaned over the table. Reaching for the crumb that got stuck in Genesis' hair, her eyes welled up with nervous tears.

"O-oh G-goddess! I-I'm _so_ s-sorry! I w-wasn't thinking!" Maya spluttered as she gently fished the crumbs out of Genesis' hair. Genesis merely closed his eyes, a strangely peaceful look taking over his shocked expression as he allowed the clumsy, spluttering woman to fix his appearance. Although, it felt like she was further mussing his hair up. That didn't matter though, as her gentle touch felt rather pleasant.

"And we're back to the stuttering. You were doing so well too," Genesis mumbled quietly as Maya pulled away after brushing away the remainder of the crumbs. The lab-rat sniffled and placed her sandwich down on the table, having lost her appetite after assaulting Genesis with the crust of her sandwich. She continued to sniffle, not noticing Genesis reach for the can of Banora Apple Juice. Cracking it open, he gently placed it into Maya's line of sight. The psychologist took in a sharp breath before mustering up the courage to look at Genesis. The Crimson Commander rolled his eyes at her scared look. "Drink. You'll feel better. And then we have to get back to our containment cell." At this, Maya spluttered out a small laugh before raising the juice to her lips.

However, before she took a sip, she frowned slightly and placed the juice down. Genesis nearly groaned in frustration. What was wrong now?

Maya looked up at him and offered a wet, but genuine smile.

"Thank you, Genesis." Genesis nodded in acknowledgement before turning away from Maya as she finally sipped at her juice.

The Crimson Commander could have sworn his face was the exact shade of his duster at that very moment.

* * *

Zack belatedly realised that Angeal had not in fact walked into the cafeteria. Kunsel at duped him yet again! However, Kunsel had no idea of the scoop he's just stumbled upon.

Genesis was being nice. Maya was kinda-sorta flirting… until something happened (he wasn't sure what) and she started to splutter again. And then Genesis wasn't angry when she started to go all unstable-psychologist woman!

Oh, and Kunsel thought he knew nothing! _This_ was big news- ShinRa's pyromaniac had a soft-spot for ShinRa's emotional wreck!

Yes, this was something _only_ Zack Fair would know of.

Until the time to reveal all came, of course.

Zack frowned as Genesis' foot connected with his sore ribs once again. Not that he was complaining- he's rather have bruised ribs from hiding than broken ribs from being found out!

* * *

Renaldo Sinclair stood in the Training Room with blood running down his arm and a dangerous scowl marring his usually mischievous features. Tseng nodded at his Turk in approval.

"You're learning quickly. That's good," he praised. Reno rolled his eyes, bringing his EMR to rest on the crook of his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah- was it really necessary to _shoot_ me though?" Reno spat at his superior. Tseng frowned and turned away from the red-head.

"In the field, you won't have the luxury to what your opponents specialise in and how many of them are present. This was a test of your versatility and creativity. I've got to say, you performed extremely well." Reno scoffed at Tseng's bland tone. Sure, the man was complimenting him, but the praise was a little lacklustre.

Reno grimaced as his upper arm pulsed with pain. He'd thought that he'd be a Junior Turk for at least a year before being trained to become a fully-fledged Turk. However, it seemed that Tseng saw some kind of _talent_ in him and therefore decided to throw everything at the young man in one go.

So far, Tseng had not been disappointed.

The young man was a killing machine_._ Definitely good for _protecting_ the interests of the company.

Reno was like a blessing in disguise. A foul-mouthed, lazy, yet immensely talented blessing.

His sister however… she was a bit of a mess. She's definitely hold Reno's stellar progress back. Tseng frowned at this. He'd have to talk to Reno about her.

Tseng shook his head, a small frown on his lips. Maya Sinclair was a nice young woman and in normal circumstances he would wish her no harm. However… training Reno to be a masterful killer was definitely in the interests of the company. Maya would have to be taken out of the picture.

Tseng sighed sadly as he watched Reno from his peripheral vision as he sent his older sister a text message before packing his things away. Looking up from his duffel bag, Reno spoke.

"I'm off to the Infirmary to get this shit fixed. See ya boss man," and with a lazy wave, Reno was gone. Tseng sighed again, re-holstering his gun and collecting his discarded uniform jacket from the bench he'd thrown it on before commencing the training session.

"It's for the company. They have to be split apart for the sake of ShinRa's prosperity." Tseng deadpanned to himself in a low tone.

Strangely, this time he couldn't seem to convince himself as his voice wavered in uncertainty as he spoke his practiced mantra to himself.

The company man's resolve seemed to be breaking in the face of the Sinclairs' strong familial bond.

It kind of reminded him of Wutai... back when he was still part of a family.

* * *

**Note/Fun facts:** This chapter was hard to write simply because last chapter turned out to great! Plus, I basically finished a story arc and needed to introduce new plot points to continue the story onwards- so this is what I came up with. Now that I have a fresh set out events to write about, the updates shouldn't take as long as this one did. Plus Saturday is the last Asian Cup game so I won't be distracted with that anymore. On a negative note though, I feel that this chapter is very... ugh! So I apologise in advance. Favourite/Follow/Review/Read and grin- just as long as you enjoy it :D AND do let me know if there's something annoying about my writing! :D Thanks!

**17/2/2015: **So, after reading this chapter while editing, I realised that this was my best chapter yet (I mean, I enjoyed it a lot LOL). Just putting that out there- hope you all still enjoy this story xD


	11. Chapter 11

**A.N: _THE SOCCEROOS WON THE ASIAN CUP YUSSSS! :D I've been on a high from that for a while! I initially wanted to update this chapter three days after the last chapter was posted, but I got distracted. My blog's not called 'procrastination at its finest' for no reason xD Thank you for the reviews and follows and favourites and views! Love you guys! *hearts and hugs* I'll reply to reviews as soon as I can- right now I must go and prepare for work LOL!_**

**_Enjoy! :D_**

**Edited: 17/02/2015.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Ten-**

When Olivia Jennings laid her eyes on the Crimson Commander that fateful Thursday morning, her hazel irises glazed over in confusion as she registered the barely concealed joyful skip in ShinRa's most eligible pyromaniac's gait. Sephiroth's petite receptionist was _very_ worried. It wasn't that she hadn't ever seen a happy Genesis Rhapsodos- no, she'd been privy to Genesis' maniacal grin as he walked out of a freshly trashed office that belonged to the General himself. However, this mysterious bout of happiness was scary simply because no one knew why he was so delirious with joy to begin with.

There were no shouts of protest heard from Sephiroth, nor were there signs of a violent exchange following Genesis' exit from Sephiroth's office. Something out of the ordinary was afoot!

Olivia steeled herself, her lips in a firm line, as she marched out from behind the safety of her cluttered desk and jogged in her black wedges towards the Crimson Commander. Luckily for her, she had the foresight to bring along a folder labelled 'Annual Employee Assessment', in case Genesis questioned her about her sudden desire to share an elevator with him.

The petite receptionist scoffed to herself as the thought crossed her mind. Yeah, he'd definitely question her the moment he stopped obsessing over himself. Shaking her head, Olivia quickly slipped into the elevator with Genesis and backed herself into the unoccupied right corner. Casting the tall Commander a sidelong glance, Olivia's gaze got caught on two small pieces of paper that looked suspiciously like tickets.

Edging closer, Olivia ignored the overwhelmingly sweet and spicy smell that poured off the man under her current scrutiny in waves. The red and golden letters embossed on the tickets (Olivia was sure they were tickets at this stage of time) clearly indicated that they were for VIP admission into the theatre at Loveless Avenue for Genesis' beloved play. That explained the spring in his step- the man was apparently always ecstatic when Loveless was involved.

Olivia frowned slightly as she silently pondered over the two tickets held in the Commander's gloved fingers. Why have two tickets in the first place? The petite blonde continued to frown, not noticing that Genesis had finally turned his attention to her.

After a few moments of silence, Genesis spoke- startling the young receptionist.

"It's rude to stare," Genesis snapped, true to his extremely temperamental nature. Olivia, to her credit, barely batted an eyelash as she returned his glare with a thoughtful gaze.

"I wasn't staring at you. I was staring at those tickets." Olivia replied simply, her gaze still on the fancy looking tickets. She caught a glance of the seat positions and gasped loudly in shock. "Shit, those must have cost a fortune! Who's the lucky person you're taking, Commander?" Olivia openly stared up at Genesis, wide-eyed and genuinely interested in knowing who he was taking along. Seeing the curious glint in the small woman's hazel eyes, Genesis smirked and proceeded to tuck the tickets into his pocket with a shrug.

"_Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess—_" Genesis began to quote, but was rudely interrupted by a loud groan from Olivia.

"I take that back. Who's the poor soul you're going to drag along for a night full of fan boy-ing?" Olivia asked, her tone devoid of emotion. Genesis snarled and turned his head away from the infuriating woman, instead preferring to study the sleeves of his signature red leather coat. Smiling slightly, Genesis nodded in approval at his coat. Flawless as always- just as expected. Feeling calmer, Genesis decided to humour Olivia.

"I pity you- you seem to have zero-capacity to appreciate the brilliance that is Loveless. No matter, I am in a good mood so I suppose I can forgive you," Genesis turned to Olivia, who looked slightly offended. Seeing this, he smirked and continued to speak. "And if you must know, I'm asking Dr. Sinclair to view this stunning masterpiece with me." Olivia's mouth hung open, both in shock and amazement. Genesis' smirk transformed into a full-blown boyish grin as he took in Olivia's reaction.

Oh, the entertainment factor of his 'thank you' to Maya was astounding. He had to try saying thank you to others more often, if this was the reaction he'd receive from his work mates.

Olivia remained shocked into silence, even as the elevator doors opened up at Level 67. Being in a good mood and all, Genesis decided to be helpful and grasped Olivia's forearm, and proceeded to drag her out of the elevator. After all, she was holding a folder that was clearly to be delivered to Maya. Still smirking, Genesis chuckled and swept his way towards his shared 'office'. With a tiny yelp of protest, Olivia clacked after him in her black wedges.

"Hey, wait! Don't mess with her. She doesn't deserve to be played with Rhapsodos," Olivia spoke in low, serious tones when she got close enough to Genesis. The Crimson Commander's smirk faltered at the small woman's words. Pausing mid-step, he barely registered Olivia running into his muscular back with an 'oomph'. He frowned, his eyes down-cast as he briefly pondered over Olivia's words of warning. Turning around to face the wincing woman- who was now rubbing her red nose whilst glaring at the tall, auburn haired man- Genesis surprised both himself and Olivia with what came out of his mouth.

"I assure you, this is no game. This is a genuine gesture of good faith. Contrary to popular belief, I am no player." Genesis blinked at Olivia as the sincere words tumbled out of his mouth, as if he were speaking on auto pilot. Inside his mind, he chastised himself for not maintaining his image. Olivia would have a field day with this bit of information.

Olivia frowned, skeptical over Genesis' intentions. After a tense moment of staring into the man's glowing eyes, Olivia relented and backed away.

"Fine, but if you hurt her- I'll kick your balls so hard you'll forget you were ever considered a man," Olivia threatened, her eyes glazed over with determination. Genesis would have laughed had it not been for the small woman's close proximity to himself. Sure, Genesis was a proud man- but he was also smart. He didn't want to lose his family jewels over pride.

He'd let this threat slide.

Nodding quickly, Genesis side stepped Olivia and gently slid the 'office' door open, revealing Dr. Maya Sinclair and Zack Fair. Genesis frowned slightly at this. It looked like Maya was having a session with him.

Genesis quietly led the way into the shared 'office', Olivia carefully stepping in behind him as to not disturb the session. Sure, they were obviously violating some kind of confidentiality clause- judging by Maya's half-baked glare directed their way- but with Zack being the patient, client… _whatever he was_, that wasn't something they had to worry about. Zack was the poster boy for 'publicity'. The Crimson Commander often wondered whether the young man could manage to pull off a reconnaissance mission if he ever got assigned to one.

Genesis cringed slightly at the thought of Zack stomping all over the place, announcing to unseen enemies that he was there to obliterate them and be a hero. Yeah, that wouldn't go down too well.

The Crimson Commander made a mental note at that moment that Zack would only ever be sent on a reconnaissance mission in the event that there was no one else who could possibly sent. The day Zachary William Fair would be sent on a top secret mission requiring stealth would be the day ShinRa would be in deep trouble.

Genesis smirked slightly- like he would ever let things get _that_ bad around here. As he thought about the future of ShinRa, the crimson clad man was roused out of his thoughts by a loud exclamation by the very person he was thinking about.

"Maya, I swear- Kunsel's got it bad for one of the Turks and _he doesn't even know it_!" Zack gossiped. Genesis raised his eyebrows at the young SOLDIER Second Class, belatedly realising that Zack may not have been there for a therapy session after all.

Zack was known as the walking gossip column in the ShinRa Building after all- it only made sense that he came to Maya in the pretense of having a therapy session to dish his latest news to anyone who would listen. Unfortunately for Maya, she was paid to listen.

Olivia, gravitating towards the bringer of juicy news, grinned widely as she plopped down on a clear spot of Maya's barely organised desk. Sparing the nervous psychologist a friendly glance, she plopped the folder of 'Employee Assessments' onto the pudgy brunette's desk and eagerly turned to Zack- looking like the female version of Zack the Puppy.

If Genesis didn't have a tough, apathetic appearance to maintain, he would have no qualms in admitting that Olivia was scaring him at that very moment.

The Crimson Commander made brief eye contact with a slightly tired looking Maya before quietly seating himself at his own desk. Folding his arms over his chest, he leaned back in his chair and watched the two ladies and young man interact before him.

If Genesis was to be completely honest with himself, he'd admit that a small part of him was kind of curious about what Zack had to say about his fellow employees.

But there was no way he could admit that out loud.

So he just sat back, turned on his PC and opened up a half finished proposal for new material provisions in the SOLDIER Barracks. That way, he could at least look like he was doing something.

Because he was above engaging in mindless gossip.

Genesis frowned slightly, slightly disgusted at himself.

Who was he kidding? Gossip was his guilty pleasure.

A dirty little secret.

Genesis grinned slightly at his screen.

It was a secret no one would ever know of.

* * *

Maya allowed herself to watch Genesis for a few moments as he seated himself comfortable at his desk before he jerkily snapped forward and turned his PC on. Maya felt the corners of her lips turn upwards. Of course, Commander Genesis Rhapsodos did not take part in frivolous conversation. How fitting of his public image.

The older Sinclair turned her attention back to Olivia and Zack who were talking a mile a minute, with their eyes glazed over and as wide as saucers. Smiling at their antics, Maya leaned forward to show that she was interested in what they were saying. It was her job to do so, after all.

Zack chuckled before growing silent. His face held a pensive expression as he pondered his next piece of news. Turning towards Olivia, he levelled her with a slightly sheepish look.

"Hey, um, so… I heard that you and Seph are real _chummy_," Zack awkwardly began. Olivia shot him a confused look before addressing the younger male.

"Chummy? What's that supposed to mean?" she questioned, slightly affronted. Maya tilted her head to the side, showing genuine interest. She had wondered why Sephiroth was always blushing at the mere mention of Olivia. Zack grinned nervously, scratching the back of his neck briefly before getting up from his seat. Pacing around for a few moments, Zack finally stopped in front of the short woman and looked at her with a serious expression on his face.

"I'd pass on my congratulations but… you don't _look_ pregnant," Zack commented in a sceptical tone. Olivia remained silent, staring blankly at Zack in shock. Maya spluttered in protest on behalf of her friend.

"Z-Zack! Are you crazy? Where on Gaia did you hear _that_?" Maya asked, her voice incredulous. Olivia merely nodded in silent support of the psychologist's vocal outburst. That was something she herself wanted to know. So that she could exact proper revenge, naturally.

"Kunsel, who heard from Luxiere, who heard from Clarissa, who heard from Reno, who heard from Tseng, who heard from Veld, who heard from Hojo, who heard from President Shinra who heard from Sephiroth," Zack puffed, breathless after the extremely long sentence. Olivia's mouth hung open in shock as Maya opened and closed her mouth, trying to vocalise her thoughts- however nothing was coming out.

The two women were truly speechless.

After taking a few seconds to gather her wits, Olivia finally managed to choke out a response to Zack's shocking revelation.

"When did Sephiroth say _this_?" Olivia spat out, her voice weak. Zack's face was panicked as he shrugged.

"Um, early this morning. President Shinra wanted to talk to the General about… ShinRa's policy on dating fellow employees," Zack replied, his voice shaky. Who could blame him though? Olivia looked like she was about to pounce someone. Obviously, she loved gossip, but didn't like being the butt of the rumour. Understandable.

Before anyone else could say something, Genesis' regal voice made them all jump in surprise.

"No one cares for that policy- only the Goddess knows how many times President Shinra has violated that rule of his," Genesis provided, his tone blasé. Olivia jumped off Maya's desk and spread her arms out wide beside herself.

"That's not the point here, guys! Do you not see? Do you not realise… how _awesome this is_?" Olivia squealed loudly. Maya merely blinked at her friend, her deep brown eyes full of confusion. Zack flinched slightly before breaking out into a grin once he realised he was in no immediate danger. Genesis, naturally, rolled his eyes at the small receptionist's fanaticism.

"Um, awesome?" Maya inquired, genuinely confused. Genesis couldn't help but smile at her. She was just too cute!

Genesis stopped his train of thought right there and then, a slightly horrified look taking over his handsome facial features as he relayed over what he was just thinking.

He thought she was cute. He admitted that he thought she was cute. It wasn't even a mistake.

Genesis let himself break out into another small, slightly shy smile as he came to terms with his thoughts. He clearly liked her… there wasn't anything wrong with that! Genesis held in a chuckle as he turned his warm gaze back on a confused Maya. No, there was nothing wrong with liking Maya Sinclair.

Genesis let his fingers run over the smooth texture of the tickets tucked safely into his coat's pocket. All he had to do was ask her… then he'd use his charms to win her over!

"Um, guys… Genesis is scaring me," Zack announced, his tone wavering. Olivia turned to Genesis and grinned at him.

"He's just happy for me, aren't you Genny?" Genesis immediately scowled at the preppy blonde woman.

"Call me that again. I dare you," the Crimson Commander challenged hotly. Maya chose that moment to clear her throat, a small smile on her face.

"I don't mean to be a spoil sport but… our session is over Zack," Maya turned to Olivia, a pleasant grin on her face as she addressed the equally happy receptionist. "Thank you for bringing me that folder- I'll get started right away! You should probably get back to the General- he's probably wondering where you are," Maya spoke, her tone slightly mischievous. Olivia practically beamed as she nodded and reached over Maya's desk to squeeze her forearm affectionately before skipping out of Maya and Genesis' shared office. Finally, Maya her warm gaze to Genesis. Her grin receded into a shy, nervous smile as she fidgeted with the pen in her grasp. It took every ounce of Genesis' self-control to refrain from smiling warmly at her.

He had an image to maintain after all.

Genesis leaned back on his chair and folded his arms across his chest, getting comfortable. Maya avoided making eye-contact for a few awkward moments before her soft voice travelled into his enhanced ears.

"You… were listening too," she commented. Genesis tilted his head, surprising himself as he replied to her with an equally soft voice.

"What are you talking about? I wasn't listening," Maya smiled at Genesis' retort. He seemed so… normal and caring and almost _sweet_. It was a little strange, but she could tell he wasn't forcing himself to be that way. That fact alone sent tingles up her spine. The feeling was truly strange- she'd never felt anything like it before. Was it a new emotion? Or was she developing some kind of spinal atrophy? Maya shook her head slightly at the disturbing though, to which Genesis raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"Alright then." Maya finished abruptly. Genesis gulped as the seconds ticked by with no conversation. He desperately wanted to say something- anything- just to keep the conversation going. But that wasn't his _style_.

He'd have to wait for her to begin a topic of conversation.

The two co-workers sat in their 'office', still and silent. Maya felt her eyes tear up as the situation slowly got more awkward.

Genesis finally decided to break the silence.

"I never thanked you for your gift," he started warily, lifting his gloved arm to run his fingers through his hair. Maya stiffened at his voice, quickly wiping away a stray tear. She frowned at herself- she had to stop being so weak! Steeling herself, Maya looked up at Genesis before she could convince herself that it was a bad idea. She was surprised to find that Genesis himself looked like a nervous wreck (well, for him at least).

"Oh, it was nothing. Don't worry about it." Maya protested softly. Genesis shook his head, still not making eye-contact. Maya's eyes were drawn to Genesis' hand which delved into one of his coat pockets. Eyes widening in confusion, the young psychologist blinked at the imposing pyromaniac on the other side of the room.

"I want to apologise for my rude behaviour when we first… met." Genesis bashfully explained as he pulled out the two Loveless tickets. Of course, Maya didn't know what there were- to her, they had all the potential to be coupons to a free gym session at the company fitness centre down town. So naturally, she didn't let her hopes get too high.

"No, you don't have to!" Maya exclaimed, her voice still soft- as she sat in her seat absolutely confused. Genesis shook his head.

"No, I do!" the Crimson Commander barked aggressively, inciting a whimper from the psychologist in the room. Shaking his head, Genesis calmed himself down before continuing. "I know I have a tendency to be unpleasant- Angeal never fails to inform me when given the chance to do so- but I want to show you that I can also be a good friend," Genesis almost cringed as he mentioned the 'f' word.

'_Friend?_' Genesis asked himself incredulously, '_You're digging yourself deep into the friend-zone, and you haven't even wooed the woman yet!_' he reprimanded himself. Shoving the troublesome thoughts aside, Genesis chanced a glance at Maya, who was studiously studying her uneven fingernails. Genesis smirked at the sight. '_Maybe I can take her for a manicure and pedicure!_'

"I know that you're a good person, Genesis," Maya spoke softly, so that Genesis had to pay attention to hear her properly. Leaning forward, he frowned slightly as his 'rejection' senses were tingling. "There's no need to go out of your way to make me happy." Maya finished simply, clasping both of her hands together and resting them in front of her on her desk. Genesis took in the awkward sight that was Maya Sinclair and couldn't help the pang of sadness that he felt in his chest. He wondered whether the young woman had ever been asked out before.

Maybe he was her first?

Genesis broke into a wolfish grin at the thought. Now he _had_ to convince her to go to the play with him!

Genesis leaned further forward on his desk, his eyes shining in anticipation of the challenge that was Maya Sinclair. Taking in her messy hair and flushed cheeks, he decided that today was the day he's show a different type of charm.

Quickly checking the sliding door to see if it was closed, Genesis turned his full attention to Maya with wide eyes.

"But I want to!" He pouted. Yes, that's right. He pouted.

Maya gasped slightly in shock before shaking her head and leaning back on her chair.

"What are you-?" Maya began to protest again, in a slightly panicked voice. Genesis wasn't having any of it though. He continued 'charming' the woman that held his current affections.

"You're not going to be a meanie and send me to the best production of Loveless _all by myself_, are you Maya?" Genesis asked, his tone becoming his as he tilted his head to the side playfully. Maya sat at her desk, completely speechless at the sight of a cute Crimson Commander.

What happened to the angry pyromaniac? As much as it was dangerous for her, she desperately wanted him back! Maya's breath hitched in her throat, and for a moment she thought she was about to have a violent anxiety attack. However, instead of choking, a tiny giggle escaped her cherub lips. Genesis grinned and continued his charm.

"If you don't go with me, I'll get sad and burn all of Midgar down!" Maya burst into laughter at his comment. Cute or not- Genesis was always going to be a pyromaniac.

"You… really want me to go with you?" Maya asked, after recovering from her bout of laughter. Sobering up, Genesis stared at the young psychologist seriously.

"More than anything- let me show you why women swoon after Commander Rhapsodos," Genesis replied suavely. Maya blushed violently at this, turning her deep brown eyes away from his glowing gaze.

"S-stop that! I'll go," Maya conceded. Genesis almost jumped up and threw a fist up in the air in victory, but didn't- because he had an image to maintain. Genesis internally rolled his eyes. What image? That image was well and truly butchered now. In the wake of a simple psychologist- the angry, apathetic, violent Crimson Commander was transformed into a body filled with incoherent thoughts, feelings and was generally a mass of chaos and confusion.

And he was starting to really like that feeling.

Smiling at Maya, he stood from his desk and made his way to hers. Gently, he reached for her hand and opened up her palm, placing one ticket into her hand. Maya managed to smile at him, despite her shaking hands betraying her calm image.

"Good. It's a date then. We'll go after work on Friday, so bring a change of clothes," Genesis trailed off as he noticed a small frown on Maya's pink, cherubic lips. Seating himself on her 'patient' chair, Genesis squeezed the hand that was still in his gloved grip. "What is it?" he asked. Maya shook her head, letting her bangs cover her eyes as she avoided his gaze.

Genesis frowned at this. It was like taking one step forward and two steps back with this woman! Nevertheless, he tried his best to remain patient with her. His grip on her hand remained firm.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea," she looked up finally, surprising him with tears in her eyes. He coaxed her on with a soft squeeze of her hand. She sniffled as she continued speaking, "I don't want to embarrass you in public. I can't change myself- it's too hard. People will ask you why you're hanging out with such a loser and I can't bear to hear you say…" Maya's sentence was cut off by a chest-wracking sob. Genesis's eyes softened as he realised what she was trying to say to him. Taking his hand away from hers, he winced slightly as her shoulders slouched in defeat at the loss of contact. Quickly ridding himself of his gloves, he brought his warm hands back around her clammy palm.

Maya kept her eyes on the warm, strong hands that were encasing her chubby palms and sniffled nasally. He was so warm… like a human furnace.

Why was he doing this? With _her _of all people? She didn't understand at all. He heard Genesis take a breath before his smooth, deep aristocratic voice filled her ears, pleasantly lulling her into a secure mental state. If the circumstances behind this exchange was different, she would have laughed. Was this really the same man who had her in a choke hold in Sephiroth's office a few months ago?

"Let me tell you a secret, Maya. You're making me _crazy_, and I love it." Maya's head shot up, her eyes displaying shock. However she let Genesis continue his shocking revelation. "When I first saw you on that elevator, the sight of you made me go crazy- goodness, a few minutes in an elevator with you and I was confused for days! I thought that I just really hated you- you're not the type of woman who is usually in my company," Maya nodded at this, her eyes slightly downcast. Genesis reached over to her face, gently grabbing her chin so that he could talk while looking into her eyes.

"The more I thought about you, and my reaction to you, I began to realise that maybe I didn't hate you. Maybe I actually wanted to get to know you better. And with all the time I spent with you, I found myself imagining the two of us together all the time. Goddess, I come to work early just so I can see you for a few more hours a day!" Genesis sighed heavily, letting his fingers trail across Maya's pudgy cheeks. He smiled warmly at her slightly dumbfounded expression as he continued speaking out what he kept inside for so long. "I know you've probably hear a lot about me and my… conquests in ShinRa but those are truly all rumours. To be completely honest… I've never really connected with anyone quite like I have with you- and that scared me a little." Genesis allowed himself to softly pinch Maya's cheek. He broke out into a happy grin as Maya pouted slightly. "I've wanted to do that for a while now," Genesis confessed.

"Grab my cheek?" Maya questioned softly. Genesis frowned slightly as he pondered her question.

"Yes, my dear. Telling you how I felt was just a bonus I guess," he commented in a blasé manner, leaning back but keeping his hand on hers. Maya found herself smiling along with the Crimson Commander. His confession… made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Sure, she was nervous and on the verge of a panic attack, but the happiness of finding out that she made someone feel so strongly for the first time in their life… it felt good. She felt like she was worth something.

"I'm just doing my job," Maya jested, attempting to pull her hand away from Genesis' warm grasp. Not relenting, Genesis tightened his grip. Maya shot him a soft glare of reprimand. "Let go Commander, what if someone walks in and sees?" Genesis shook his head at her.

"Let them see. We're not fornicating or anything, so everything's fine," Maya gasped at Genesis' crude words. Seeing her cute reaction, Genesis chuckled slightly before letting go of her clammy hands with a final squeeze. "Fine, but remember- company policy or no… you'll be mine." Genesis spoke lowly, inciting a blush from Maya.

"Let's get back to work, Commander Rhapsodos." Maya spoke in a high voice, slightly wavering as she pulled the Employee Assessments Folder towards her. Genesis smirked at the cute woman in his their 'office' and made his way back to his desk. Glancing at the time on his PC Desktop, he grinned wolfishly in Maya's direction.

"Lunch is in twenty minutes- want to go early?" Maya frowned disapprovingly at Genesis.

"Commander, work." She deadpanned, cutely glaring before realising who she was reprimanding. Blushing, she whipped her head back to her paper-work. Genesis shook his head at her, feeling slightly regretful that he'd scared her enough to make her self-conscious of her behaviour towards him.

Letting out a soft sigh, Genesis decided to organise his own desk in the twenty minutes leading up to lunch. Stealing a glance of Maya from the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but feel light-hearted as his brain caught up to the events of reality.

Come Friday evening, he'd be going out on a date with Maya Sinclair. Sure, she wasn't completely his at that moment, but she hadn't said 'no'. He had plenty of time to win her over.

Genesis frowned slightly though as he thought about how little he knew about Maya other than her cuteness and awkwardness.

The Crimson Commander found himself smirking at the thought of getting to know Maya Sinclair better.

He was looking forward to their 'date.

Which was strange because Genesis Rhapsodos barely looked forward to anything.

* * *

**Note/Fun Facts:  
**This chapter is the official end to the whole "everyone's confused about what they're feeling" stage of the story. So expect drama and fluff and hilarity from now onwards! Also, this is the first story I have posted where I've reached up to Chapter 11 (or Chapter 10, officially in terms of the story). Olivia and Seph are quickly becoming a couple I LOVE to write about, so I'll add that to the story character couple thing (you know, the thing where you search for character specific stories and stuff... THE FILTERS! I'll just be quiet now...). Thank you all for reading and I look forward to receiving your feedback! :)

**17/02/2015: **I changed the ending of this chapter because I didn't want Genesis to be a COMPLETE stalker just yet xD So I'll take a more natural approach in the 'getting to know each other' phase for the two love-birds! I cringed when I re-read that scene I wrote where Genesis was trying to be (and failing horribly at being) cute. I apologise- though it makes for quite the mental picture LOL!


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N: _Hi everyone! I would apologise for being late to update but I have a perfectly good reason for being late! I was editing all the previous chapters and identifying plot holes and what not that need to be addressed in the story! So most inconsistencies and stuff should be fixed, but please do let me know if you find any grammatical errors and stuff in the chapters! I'd appreciate that kind of help immensely! :D Now, I'm starting to delve into Reno's story and Sephiroth and Olivia's story. Also, Clarissa=Shotgun the Turk from Before Crisis! :D I'll reply to all reviews I missed replying to ASAP (I know I say this all the time and not do it, but I'll really try my best to find some time to thank you all personally! :)_**

**_ I hope you all enjoy the new chapter! :D_**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven-**

Renaldo Caleb Sinclair stared up at the ceiling of the Turks' shared office on a rather boring Friday during midday, blatantly ignoring his paperwork, as per usual. Letting out a tired sigh, he turned his aquamarine eyes towards the huge Turk sitting on the desk to his left. Grabbing an unused pen from his dusty pen holder, he pulled his arm back and threw it at his new partner's shiny, bald head.

The man merely grunted softly, not even looking up from his mission brief, as Reno pouted at his side profile.

"Your name can't be _just_ 'Rude'," Reno spoke out, obnoxiously loud. Clarissa, the Turks' shot gun specialist, shot Reno a seething glare from his right before turning back to her own mission brief. Reno spared a glance at his own set of papers before shrugging and turning back to his new partner. "Were you born in a prison or somethin'?" Reno inquired, leaning forward out of curiosity. The tall, broad and suave Turk let out an exasperated sigh before turning his attention away from his mission brief and towards the talkative Turk.

"My parents are native to Corel," Rude simply stated. Reno nodded, his mouth hanging open as he pondered his next question. Eyes widening comically in realisation, the young Turk leaned even further in.

"Your folks are still alive? That's _awesome_ man! Do they pack you lunch? I'd pay for some decent, home-cooked food!" Reno exclaimed, bouncing on his seat eagerly at the thought of warm, spicy Corel stew. Momentarily, he frowned as he thought of his big sister's cooking. "Ya know, Maya's only good for makin' pasta bake. Ya know, with the bottled sauce and the packets of pasta and stuff?" Reno explained, making a face of distaste. Rude raised his eyebrows at the younger Sinclair (though Reno was only aware of this fact because the older man's eyebrows were actually visible from behind his ever-present shades).

"At least she cooks." The elder man deadpanned. Reno rolled his eyes at his partner and swung his feet up onto his desk, placing them carelessly onto his mission brief as he leaned back leisurely on his chair.

"Yeah, but after years of the same thing for dinner, you'd be wishin' for more variety too," Reno replied nonchalantly. Rude merely grunted in response before turning back to his mission brief. The red-head raised his eyebrow incredulously at the handsomely tan man. "Dude, do they not teach you how to read in Corel or some shit? You've been staring at that mission brief for forty-five minutes now!" Rude scoffed at the younger Turk's exclamation just as Clarissa's stapler made contact with Reno's back with a 'thwack'.

"I like to memorise the mission details before heading out- in our line of work, you can never be 'too prepared'." Rude offered before going back to his papers. Reno whistled lowly as he tilted his head to the side, his arms folded behind his head- looking like the poster-boy for 'Office Slackers weekly'- if ever such a magazine existed.

"Shit, sometimes I forget you guys don't have photographic memories," Reno muttered quietly.

"That's right, we don't. So we'd appreciate it if you would just let us go over these mission briefings in peace before it's time to head out," an annoyed sounding Clarissa piped up from Reno's right side. Grinning at the sound of the caramel beauty's soft yet deadly voice, Reno used his flexibility to his advantage to tilt his whole body in the young woman's direction. Clarissa shot Reno a disgusted look. "You're such a freak." She spat viciously, before turning her light brown eyes back to her brief. Reno smirked as he wiggled his hips to get comfortable in his new, contorted position. The young Turk's grin grew even wider as he swore he heard a muffled chuckle on his left-hand side.

"Oh babe, admit it- you _want_ some of this sweet ass," Reno spoke lewdly.

Just as Clarissa was about to hurl another stapler at Reno- this time directly at his smug face- Tseng stepped into the shared office with a stern look on his face. Of course, this look was naturally directed at Reno Sinclair.

"Reno, what did I tell you about sexual harassment in the work place?" Tseng drilled, his voice tired as if it was a question he asked Reno on a daily basis. Reno had the decency to pout slightly as he wriggled his bare feet on his desk uncomfortably.

"It's not allowed," Reno muttered, much like a kicked puppy. Tseng nodded before sending a withering glance at the new Turk's bare feet.

"Is there a reason why your feet are on display on top of your mission brief?" Tseng sighed. Reno shrugged, leaning further back on his chair as Clarissa glared daggers at Reno's presence. Rude merely continued reading his mission brief, ignoring the happenings around him.

"I'm airing them out before the mission, man. Who knows when these toes are gonna be able to breathe again!" Reno explained, flailing his arms dramatically at his sides to prove his point. Tseng merely rolled his eyes at Reno's antics.

"Please, for Leviathan's sake, just make sure you have shoes on before you leave today," Tseng cleared his throat, gaining Rude's undivided attention. "Watch him. Don't hesitate to call for back up if something goes wrong- Clarissa and I will be in the chopper, circling the outskirts of Midgar. Veld will be accompanied by Chase and Legend- they will be located in Wall Market, posing as scouts. Don't approach them yourselves- if the need arises, they'll come to you." Rude nodded in understanding, tapping the mission brief in his hands.

"Got it." Reno's eyes widened at the mention of the two Turk field agents he was yet to meet.

"They're back from Nibelheim? I thought that mansion stake-out was supposed to take them another three months!" Reno exclaimed loudly. Clarissa brought her hands up to her ears, squinting a little in pain before rolling her eyes at the young man sitting to her left.

"Legend's not called 'legend' for no reason, you know. And Chase… nothing can out-run that man. Of course they've finished early!" The caramel-haired woman boasted smugly. Tseng wore a slight smirk on his face at Clarissa's explanation. It hadn't been that long since _she_ was the newbie in the ranks. Now she was a dedicated, intelligent and hot-tempered member of the team and Tseng would have it no other way.

"That's enough chatter," Tseng interrupted. "You have two hours before we begin. Go prepare for the mission…" Tseng trailed off, glancing at Reno, who stared up at him, his eyes clear and serious- a rare and promising sight indeed. With a sigh, Tseng turned his body away from his Turks and moved towards his private office.

Before he pushed his door open, the Wutaian man turned to face his Turks with a strict look on his facial features- all business as usual.

"Say your goodbyes to your family and friends- in this line of work, you don't know if you'll be coming back alive or in a body bag," the tall, dark haired man shot Reno a meaningful look. "It's best to be prepared for the worst- leave this building with no regrets. Good luck Turks." And with that said, Tseng pushed his office door open, his facial features relaxing into a tired expression as he himself prepared himself for yet another dirty infiltration mission in the Midgar Slums.

* * *

Maya shot an affronted Genesis an apologetic look as she answered her baby brother's loud, persistent questions in a soft voice.

"No, his real name isn't Rude sweetie. It's just his work alias," the brunette gently explained as Reno stared at her sceptically. The younger Sinclair frowned and leaned forward onto Maya's desk, his eyes shining with doubt.

"Then tell me his real name! Tseng told me not to leave this building with regrets, and boy- if I die not knowing the truth about my partner's name, I'm going to resurrect myself and give myself a coronary before dying again!" Genesis scoffed at this exclamation from his desk.

"I do not believe one can induce a coronary on another, let alone the self." Genesis commented arrogantly. Reno scowled, not bothering to turn around and glare at the smug Crimson Commander as he barked out a retort.

"I'll freakin' find a way, Princess! Now get out, I've got some important 'Sinclair' business to talk about with my sis," Genesis smirked at the back of Reno's bright red head.

"Does this 'Sinclair' business involve obtaining information about a certain Rudolph Franklin Wilson's birth name?" Maya sighed as Reno immediately stood up and whirled around to face Genesis with a blinding grin on his face. Genesis merely crossed his arms in front of his chest and smirked at the young man standing in front of him.

"_Shit_, his name's Rudolph? _Like the chocobo_?" Reno asked, his tone conveying his barely held-in laughter as he spoke with a contagious grin on his face. Genesis couldn't help but grin back as he nodded his affirmation. Maya merely shook her head and shot the Crimson Commander a reproachful look before turning her attention back to her Employee Assessment reports.

"Surprised?" Genesis inquired. Reno merely grinned silently.

After a few moments, Reno dashed behind Maya's desk and scooped the astonished psychologist into a rough hug before letting go and dashing out of the shared 'office'. Maya blinked in shock, barely registering her baby brother's hysterical laughter as he sprinted towards the elevator.

Looking over at Genesis, Maya offered the handsome man a wary smile. Genesis merely smirked back as he pointed at the clock on the adjacent wall.

"Six more hours until our _date_," he informed, his tone light and happy. Maya felt her smile grow as she averted her gaze and shook her head at him.

"I'm h-hungry. Let's go and grab something to eat," Maya informed, stumbling over her words as she tried her best to ignore Genesis' predatory grin as he watched her fetch her wallet from a drawer in her desk.

Self-consciously walking towards the sliding door, Maya gasped as Genesis' arm shot out in front of her to slide it open. Gesturing for her to go ahead, Genesis bowed in a gentlemanly manner.

"Ladies first, my dear." Blushing, Maya shook her head again but complied. Stepping out of their shared 'office', Genesis let himself smile a few moments longer before re-arranging his expression into his fearsome 'Crimson Commander' bitch-face.

He had an image to maintain in public, after all.

* * *

Sephiroth tilted his head to the side in confusion at the sight of a crazily grinning Olivia Jennings sitting at her desk. Curious, the Silver General slowly stepped up to her and waited patiently for her to react to his presence.

Funnily enough, it didn't take long, as the petite receptionist startled Sephiroth when she suddenly spoke in a soft, low voice.

"They will just _love_ this new scoop," she whispered. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and took one step closer to his receptionist. He noted that today she wore a lacy white blouse paired with a pair of slim-fit tailored pants. On her feet, she wore black and white sandal-heels. Sephiroth found himself nodding in approval of her attire.

Yet again.

Sephiroth shook his head and zoned back in on Olivia's strange behaviour. He noticed that she was now pointing at her PC screen. Humouring the young blonde, Sephiroth moved to stand behind her and hesitantly looked at the screen.

He found his jaw dropping at the sight of the familiar- and dreaded- Silver Elite fan site. Sephiroth took a deep breath and decided to avert his gaze from the screen before he saw something that would set off his famous temper. Some even said that the Silver General's foul moods could rival those of Genesis Rhapsodos.

"Miss Jennings, what is the meaning of this?" The Silver General hesitantly questioned. Olivia quickly spun around on her office chair and yelped as her gaze was in line with the General's shiny belt buckles. Blushing slightly, she raised her gaze upwards and hesitantly smiled at him.

"Oh, good afternoon sir!" Olivia's eyes widened as she belatedly realised that Sephiroth had seen the contents of her screen. Against her better judgement, Olivia quickly stood up from her seat to block her computer screen from the Silver General's line of sight. "Oh Goddess, this is _not_ what it looks like! I swear!" Olivia exclaimed emphatically. Sephiroth froze in his spot at Olivia's close proximity.

This was a very… new situation for the young General.

Sure he'd held the small woman in his arms a little less than a week ago, however, he hadn't ever stood _chest-to-chest_ with any woman before.

All he could say about the experience was that… _they_ were soft.

Sephiroth blushed at the thought as he belatedly took a rather uncoordinated step backwards, almost stumbling over his own feet, as he desperately tried to create some distance between himself and the vixen of a woman in front of him. Taking a brief moment to compose himself, Sephiroth as grateful for his voice remaining even as he spoke.

"What are you talking about?" Sephiroth inquired, quickly getting over his embarrassment and transitioning over into genuine curiosity. Olivia winced as she cast a glance over her shoulder at her computer screen.

"Look, I know that when you interviewed me, I told you I wasn't part of the Silver Elite," Olivia began sheepishly, "but I didn't think that it was fair of you to judge me based on my personal affiliation with the Silver Elite! So I _had to_ lie! I am really, truly, sorry." Olivia paused, letting a thoughtful look take over her delicate features. "About lying, not about being part of the Silver Elite," she finished.

Sephiroth nodded silently in acknowledgement.

"Do you… hold a significant position in the Silver Elite?" Sephiroth almost cringed as he spoke his fan club's name out loud. Olivia looked up at Sephiroth through her long lashes, sheepishly smiling as she fiddled with one of the bracelets on her wrist.

"Um… Vice-President, sir…" Olivia admitted, unsure of how Sephiroth would react.

The stoic General simply nodded again, dumbfounded.

He'd hired a fan-girl to be his secretary.

This fan-girl _knew_ his address.

This fan-girl _knew_ of his social-awkwardness.

This fan-girl could _destroy_ him.

Sephiroth let his cat-like gaze rest on a very bashful looking Olivia, his eyes hardened with tumultuous emotion. He'd been lied to by a woman who made him feel so many different pleasant emotions… were those pleasant emotions a mere lie?

His eyes softened as he finally got to her hazel eyes, which he found were now full of unshed tears. She blinked rapidly as she averted her gaze, looking anywhere but at Sephiroth.

"You want me to pack my things and leave, don't you?" she whispered morosely. Sephiroth sighed at the slightly trembling woman in front of him.

"No. You already know where I live. It would not be wise to let you go," Sephiroth stated, his voice devoid of emotion. Olivia sniffed, shrinking into herself from shame.

"I'll just get back to work then. I promise I won't update the Silver Elite website in your presence," Olivia whimpered, quickly turning to her PC and turning the power button off. Sephiroth made a face at Olivia's down-trodden behaviour. Did his opinion of her _really_ mean that much to her? Sephiroth frowned at the back of Olivia's head, secretly admiring her straight, loose golden locks that reached up to her mid-back in layers. Sephiroth shook his head, a small, unsure smile gracing his lips.

He couldn't keep this stern charade up. Not with her. It didn't seem right.

"Is there a way _I_ can join anonymously?" Sephiroth inquired quietly. Olivia stopped what she was doing for a few moments before whirling around, her tear-stricken face displaying her obvious shock at his inquiry. Sephiroth felt his blush climb up his chest and up his neck, making the back of his neck sweat. Goodness, he was embarrassed! "I'd like to monitor what is being posted about me," the Silver General clarified. Olivia blinked for a few moments, maintaining the tense silence around them before piping up loudly.

"Oh my… _yes_! Of course you can sir!" She exclaimed excitedly, her voice still nasally from her quiet tears. Sephiroth felt his smile grow at her enthusiasm. "As a matter of fact, I'll let you use my own account! Do you have a pen and paper on you?" Olivia asked, searching her own cluttered desk for a pen and post-it note- to no avail. Sephiroth found himself softly chuckling at the small receptionist's antics. His chest felt light and his mood was sky high despite finding out the one person he worked closest with was practically his stalker.

"I'll remember," Sephiroth replied, his tone full of amusement. Crossing his arms, he looked at Olivia expectantly. "Go on." Olivia nodded, still grinning as she told him her account details.

"Sephiroth, this is so exciting! You have no idea… _oh right_! The user-name is _OllieLuvsSephy_," right after the tell-tale user-name left Olivia's lips, she gasped in embarrassment as she stared up at the equally embarrassed Silver General. Despite this pleasant shock, Sephiroth tilted his head to the side in question.

"Is 'loves' spelt as it should be, or 'l-u-v-s'?" Sephiroth asked hesitantly. Olivia cleared her throat, staring at the ground as her face heated up even further in embarrassment.

"The latter," she replied contritely.

"And the password?" Sephiroth goaded. Olivia gulped and shook her head.

"You know what? How about we just get you an anonymous email and sign you up as a new member? I'll authorise," Olivia quickly spoke, jabbing the power-on button on her PC and heavily sitting down on her office chair.

Sephiroth found himself grinning slightly as he kneeled down beside the small, seated woman. They were roughly the same height now, which amused Sephiroth immensely.

As Olivia quickly typed in the name of a free email provider website, Sephiroth softly cleared his throat before speaking in what he hoped was a casual tone.

"I haven't been called _Sephy_ since I was a child," Olivia made a noise of discomfort at this revelation. Of course, no one in their right mind would ever dare call the great General Sephiroth by such a juvenile name. The embarrassed receptionist was about to apologise to Sephiroth when the Silver General spoke up once again. "It's nice to be addressed in such an endearing way, I suppose." He finished, his voice even.

Olivia's blush darkened as she turned to Sephiroth, the email registration site forgotten for the time being.

"You know, it's always been a fantasy of mine… to call you _Sephy_," Olivia boldly revealed. Sephiroth, taken aback, could merely nod at this. Averting her gaze, Olivia was completely and utterly mortified with what she had just revealed to the man she held in her affections. Goddess, was she messing up big time!

"I don't think calling me _Sephy_ around the work place would bode too well, Miss Jennings." Sephiroth spoke quietly. Olivia nodded, completely and utterly embarrassed with herself and her current situation.

"I guess not," the small receptionist agreed. Sephiroth frowned at the down cast look on the petite blonde's face and sighed softly before placing a bare, warm hand on her shoulder- immediately snapping Olivia out of her depression.

Completely alert at the feeling of Sephiroth's warm touch, Olivia couldn't help but have difficulties taking air into her deprived lungs. Yes, she was hyperventilating- who wouldn't in the event the man of their dreams was actually _willingly_ touching them?

Olivia Jennings felt like she was flying.

"Perhaps we can compromise," Sephiroth offered. Olivia challenged herself to look up at the Silver General- her senses overwhelmed by his scent, his touch, his sound… his entire presence and existence in general! Once she made eye-contact with Sephiroth, the intimidating man continued speaking in a soft voice. "You may address me as such outside of working hours- do I make myself clear?" Sephiroth questioned gently, yet sternly. Olivia nodded, her eyes wide in glee.

"Yes, yes, _yes_!" Olivia shouted, jumping up out of her seat and launching herself at the surprised General without a second thought. Clinging on to the Silver General happily for a few moments, Olivia breathed in Sephiroth's pleasant scent and pulled back slowly- an amazing grin still on her lips. Sephiroth couldn't help but smirk back at the young woman who he'd just candidly held in his arms not a moment ago.

"Now, about joining that fan club…"

* * *

Zachary Fair stood outside the SOLDIER Training Room, grinning broadly at the military personnel as they walked by. Kunsel Harringer cleared his throat uneasily from behind his helmet and turned his body towards the energetic SOLDIER Second-Class with an exasperated sigh.

"_What_ are we doing?" the elusive SOLDIER asked tiredly. Zack turned to his best friend and smirked smugly at him.

"We're _snooping_!" Zack exclaimed loudly, garnering unwanted attention from a few of the SOLDIER Third-Classes who were idly wasting away the remainder of their lunch hour. Huffing, Kunsel pulled his helmet off his head, revealing a head of shaggy, brown hair and brilliant, multi-coloured eyes. Turning to the hyper-active young man, Kunsel frowned disapprovingly.

"Why snoop when you have me?" Zack rolled his eyes at Kunsel's question, his eyes eagerly following the trajectory of his mentor who had _just_ exited his office.

"Where's the fun in being spoon-fed? I want to be challenged!" Zack replied back enthusiastically. Kunsel merely shrugged and turned his attention towards a rather relaxed looking Angeal Hewley. The brunette raised an eyebrow at the rather ordinary sight.

"Why are we watching Angeal?" Kunsel asked in bored voice. Zack sent the young Second-Class a reprimanding glare before grabbing his forearm and pulling him forward. Kunsel sighed, not bothering to put up a fight, as he let himself be led towards the unsuspecting Calm Commander of the ShinRa Militarised Forces.

"After our last training session, Angeal mentioned something about going to the post-office in Sector Eight. So naturally, I followed him- you know, for stealth training- and I saw him send a _letter_!" Zack spoke in hushed tones, glancing around every once in a while to make sure no one was listening in. Kunsel sent Zack a rather non-impressed look.

"Whoopee, your mentor sent someone a letter," Kunsel intoned dryly. Zack watched him expectantly with wide, excited eyes. "Look, I don't understand what the big deal is." Kunsel admitted. Zack's mouth fell open in shock.

"_What_?" Zack whispered-slash-shouted before steeling his facial features into some semblance of seriousness. "The _big deal_ here is that Angeal might have a girlfriend in another town!" Zack exploded out, his arms waving around at his sides like he'd just revealed that the moon was made out of cheese. Kunsel raised his eyebrows at his best friend in disbelief, but decided to humour the raven-haired pup. It was all in good fun after all.

"Suppose Angeal _was_ sending love letters to some woman in another town or city; what would you do if you confirmed this information?" Kunsel inquired seriously. Zack stood up from his crouched position from behind a pot plant (Kunsel did not realise that Zack had actually forced him to join him in hiding quite poorly behind the ghastly indoor decoration) and brought his index finger up to his chin in deep thought. After a few moments of contemplation, Zack's eyes widened as he snapped his fingers in front of Kunsel's face in excitement.

"I'll sell the information to the Keepers of Honour!" Zack replied, looking smugly proud of himself. Kunsel couldn't help but grin at Zack's words.

"Dude, are you _trying_ to piss Angeal off?" Zack shrugged nonchalantly.

"I want to see how far I can push him- he's too chill, you know?" Kunsel shook his head at Zack before glancing down at his wrist watch. Gasping in surprise at the time, Kunsel slapped the back of Zack's head in surprise as he quickly wrenched his helmet back over his head.

"Shit, I am _so_ late for running the infantry drills!" Kunsel exclaimed in a panic. Turning to a rather peeved looking Zachary Fair who was tenderly rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head, Kunsel shot his friend an apologetic look (which, of course, Zack could not see). "Good luck with the snooping man! If you ever give up, you know where to find me!" Kunsel called over his shoulder as he began to jog away from the raven-haired Second-Class. Zack muttered darkly under his breath as he slowly righted himself from Kunsel's assault before he began to sneak in the direction he'd last seen Angeal heading.

If he was lucky, Angeal would be sending off another letter!

Zack grinned to himself, nodding in determination, as he set off after his mentor.

Angeal had always criticised the young SOLDIER's stealth abilities- if the raven haired youth successfully intercepted a letter from Angeal to his mystery woman, no one would ever doubt him again!

Zack almost let out a very un-manly squeak as he thought of his possible triumph.

It was just a matter of time before he'd be recommended for First Class- surely he'd be able to impress Angeal with his super-special-_awesome_ stealth skills and fast-track his way right to the top!

The relatively new Second-Class SOLDIER did a little excited jig in the spot he stood before quickly composing himself and moving off in Angeal's direction.

After a few moments of sneaking, Zack nodded to himself- ignoring the infuriated looks he was getting from ShinRa's janitorial staff. Despite knocking over three potted plants and knocking over a bucket of dirty mop water, the raven haired youngster was satisfied with his efforts at stealth.

After all, Angeal still hadn't shown any signs of catching on.

Oh, his first stealth mission was going _very_ well!

* * *

Genesis stalked his way back to his shared 'office' with an immensely peeved expression fixed on his aristocratic facial features. Maya trailed after him, her deep brown eyes wide in concern for him. The two office-mates clutched their unfinished lunches in their hands as they shuffled into their small work space. The Crimson Commander immediately slammed his tuna salad down onto the immaculate surface of his desk and practically threw himself onto his chair before burying his head in his hands and letting out a frustrated yell.

It was like Wutai was just _waiting_ for Genesis to have something extremely important to do before they decided to declare war on the ShinRa Empire!

The Crimson Commander had never really been fond of Wutai, but at that very moment he _loathed_ the damn country.

He just wanted one date with Maya Sinclair.

One date was all that he needed to ascertain whether his feelings for her were conjured or as real as his love for fine literature.

But no.

Wutai wouldn't even let him have _that_.

"Damn you Wutai!" Genesis yelled loudly, throwing his hands up in the air in a dramatic gesture of hatred. He barely registered Maya's soothing touch as she hesitantly rubbed his back, in an attempt to console him.

How did life always find new ways to crew him over? Genesis sighed as he slumped forward on his elbows, defeated.

He'd never know.

* * *

Maya looked at the two VIP Loveless tickets, her expression upset, before glancing at the visibly furious man in her presence. Truthfully, she was slightly scared- how could she be sure he wasn't going to fry her with a Firaga in one of his foul moods?

Maya gulped and willed her fear out of her mind.

Slowly rubbing circles into his warm back, the young psychologist allowed herself to take a deep breath before she began to speak.

"It's okay- we can go next time," the chocolate-haired woman began. Genesis growled and sat up immediately, startling Maya who had still been rubbing his back.

"No, we're going to go tonight." Genesis stated, like it was a fact. Maya gasped and shook her head, despite knowing Genesis wasn't actually looking in her direction.

"But the war—"

Genesis rolled his teal eyes and stood up from his seat, his shoulder held high as he stood defiantly with the two tickets in his gloved hand.

"Maya; who am I?" the auburn haired man asked, his tone slightly arrogant. Taking a step backwards, the chubby young woman shrugged and tilted her head to the side- confused- as she answered obediently.

"ShinRa's Crimson Commander. Second-in-Command of the ShinRa Special Forces. Genesis Rhapsodos. The Raging Inferno…" Genesis raised his eyebrows at Maya, surprised at the many titles she knew him by. Shaking his head, Genesis blinked rapidly before smirking at the brunette.

"Exactly. I'm the Crimson Commander! No one can tell me what to do- not even ShinRa!" Genesis proclaimed proudly. Maya merely shook her head at the infamous pyromaniac's antics before letting a shy smile grace her cherubic pink lips.

"I guess you're right… _but_ I still think that you should at least get someone else to go to the strategy meeting in your stead if you're not going to go personally," Maya stated, her tone wary. Genesis offered the perpetually nervous psychologist a confident smile as he retrieved his PHS from his pocket.

"Oh, don't worry. I've got the _perfect_ guy in mind…"

* * *

**Note/Fun Facts: **I have always been curious about how Reno and Rude managed to be the perfect dynamic duo in the game and movie, so I took this fic as an opportunity to explore their relationship! I've always wanted to write something like a Turkfic! but never had the guts to, so I guess this will just have to do because this fic is not only about Maya and Genesis but also about exploring the other characters too! ALSO, you guys must have thought I forgot about Angeal, huh? Oh, no... quite the opposite actually. I have a lot planned for our lovely Angeal! :D I _will_ be introducing one more OC (who doesn't belong to me, but a wonderfully talented author in the fandom! ;D) so I hope you all anticipate that! This fic IS starting to get a little darker as the events of Crisis Core begin to work their way into the fic! But I'll try my best to keep some humour in it (though the romance will stay... though my attempts at writing romance are quite pathetic...) ANYWAYS! I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THIS! AND SORRY FOR THE RAMBLING NOTE! As always, let me know what you think if you have time to spare a few words! :)


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N: _Hello everyone! Quick update for LAMTF! Yay! Sadly, this is a rather depressing chapter for a story labelled as Romance/Humour. I am contemplating changing it to Romance/Drama. I've been planning to reveal Maya's back-story from the slums for a long time now, in order to allow readers to make sense of her anxiety. Genesis/Maya shippers... won't be too happy with this chapter. I am so sorry! However, Sephiroth/Olivia shippers are going to be over the moon! :) Thanks again for the reviews, favourites and follows and the continued support everyone! I hope I haven't scared anyone off with this chapter; it's just that this was a long time coming and this was... unfortunately the perfect opportunity._**

**_I hope you guys find this chapter informative and interesting (not going to ask you to enjoy it because... it's quite a dark chapter)!_**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve-**

The Silver General's eyebrows rose slightly as he walked into the SOLDIER Briefing Room fifteen minutes early, his cat-like gaze falling upon a rather sheepish looking Zachary Fair. Utterly confused, Sephiroth quickly glanced at the time on his PHS as well as the Briefing Room door, confirming with himself that he was indeed in the correct room at the correct time, before shooting the young SOLDIER Second Class a questioning look.

"Second Class personnel are not authorised to be present during the initial conference," Sephiroth quietly explained. The raven-haired youth nodded, his sky-blue eyes wide and his posture completely straight. Sephiroth sighed and shook his head, realising belatedly that Zack was a little _thicker_ than some of the other people he conversed with on a daily basis. He'd have to be blunt. Clearing his throat, the Silver General straightened his back and pushed his chest forward, looking the absolute picture of authority. "Mr. Fair, what are you doing here?" Sephiroth bluntly inquired, his eyes not faltering from Zack's wide-eyed gaze.

Zack tore his eyes from Sephiroth's momentarily, digging around in his pocket before retrieving his PHS. Opening the small device up, the youth quickly scrawled through his contact before pressing the dial button and handing the communication device off to a bewildered Sephiroth. Not knowing what else to do, the silver-haired authority figure acted automatically, taking the device from Zack's hand and raising it to his ear as he waited for a voice to greet him.

After the third ring, the exasperated voice of none other than Commander Genesis Rhapsodos travelled through his auditory canal.

"What is it? We were just about to leave," Genesis's aristocratic voice huffed in annoyance. Sephiroth could hear Maya's worried commentary in the background, as well as some unstable shuffling and finally a yelp before a defeated sniffle was heard. Genesis sighed through the PHS. "I stand corrected, Maya's going to go and change into shoes that she can actually walk in, so I guess I have some time to spare." Genesis concluded. Sephiroth raised an eyebrows as he pulled the PHS away from his ear and shot Zack an incredulous look.

"Isn't Genesis supposed to be _here_ at the conference?" The Silver General asked warily. Zack shrugged his shoulders, his eyes still wide and alert. Sephiroth let out an exasperated sigh at the sight of the overly attentive Second Class. "Stop that," he ordered. Zack blinked and slumped backwards in his seat, letting out a relieved breath before pouting at the desk in front of him.

"Angeal told me to be 'switched-on'. You're telling me to 'switch-off'. I just don't know what to do! Why am I even here?" Zack threw his hands up in the air, his voice slightly hysterical. Ignoring him, Sephiroth spoke into Zack's PHS, addressing Genesis directly.

"Commander, the conference will start in exactly nine minutes. _What_ on Gaia is preventing you from attending?" Genesis sighed heavily from the other end of the line at Sephiroth's question, recognising the Silver General's voice.

"Ah, Sephiroth, I'm going on a date," Genesis replied simply. Sephiroth couldn't help but slam his gloved palm against his forehead in complete defeat.

"Genesis, this is war we're talking about- not next year's Mako Stone Excavation budget. Lives are at stake- _this is your job_." Sephiroth emphasised, his tone stern.

"The war can wait a few hours, can't it? Besides, I've sent a replacement! I thought you'd enjoy Angeal's company more than my own. He's always been so much better at listening to your half-baked battle plans," Genesis mocked through the PHS. Sephiroth bit his lip, his temper rising minutely. Before he could reply back with a scathing comment, he frowned in confusion at the mention of the raven-haired Commander's name.

"You sent Angeal? Angeal's not here…" Sephiroth scrutinised a squirming Zack for a few moments before his cat-like eyes widened in realisation. "Angeal sent the puppy in his stead." Sephiroth dead-panned. Genesis coughed awkwardly on the other end of the line before replying back.

"Oh, Zack's apparently good too," the auburn-haired drama queen began. However, before he could finish his statement, Sephiroth groaned audibly just as Director Lazard and Heidegger noisily entered the Briefing Room.

"I believe you and Angeal _owe me big time_. I do not know what it is that I am to be owed, but I'll be sure to ask my receptionist the moment this conference has been adjourned. All the best for your unexpected _personal errands_." Sephiroth stated, his tone all business. Sparing a glance at both Heidegger and Lazard, who were shooting Zack confused looks, Sephiroth allowed himself to listen to Genesis' last statement before he hung up the phone.

"Heidegger and Lazard are in, I presume? I believe it is time for me to bid you farewell for now, dear friend. I will not forget this act of kindness," and with that, Sephiroth swiftly shut his PHS and shoved it into one of his numerous pockets before turning to the two men who had just entered the room.

Heidegger glared at a somewhat green looking Zack Fair as he began to speak.

"Who authorised the Second?" he asked gruffly. Lazard turned to Sephiroth, the same question evident in his curious, bespectacled eyes. Sephiroth internally sighed as he recalled something Maya had told him back when he's first started to talk to her about his 'social problems'.

'_White lies are okay when the benefits outweigh the detriments,_' Sephiroth heard Maya's soft, stuttering voice waft through his head like a pleasant song. Blinking once to compose himself, Sephiroth made sure he maintained eye-contact with both Lazard and Heidegger as he spoke.

"I authorised him. He's a promising SOLDIER Second Class and I have reason to believe that he'll be quite an asset during the war effort." Sephiroth explained quickly. Heidegger continued to glare at Zack, but nodded at Sephiroth's explanation before taking a seat opposite the squeamish teen.

"I see. Well then, boy- salute your superiors!" Heidegger ordered brutishly, banging his meaty fists onto the conference table. The SOLDIER Director shot a weary glance at Heidegger's side profile before nodding at the Second Class encouragingly. Running a nervous hand through his haphazard spikes, Zack quickly saluted the two men before practically falling back into his seat in relief. Sephiroth looked directly at Lazard, trying his best to be calm and collected when in reality he wanted to run Genesis through with his Masamune.

This was wrong. He was the youngest of the three for goodness' sake! According to the popular opinion of various staff members around the ShinRa Building, younger people were supposed to be the screw-ups and older people were supposed to right their wrongs.

Oh, this occurrence was messing up his world view terribly.

He'd have to ask Olivia about his disproven hypothesis later…

Sephiroth held in a smile that threatened to burst onto his face.

As nice as thoughts of the receptionist were, Sephiroth had a job to do. Steeling himself, Sephiroth took one last deep breath before getting down to business.

Making eye-contact with the three other men in the room, Sephiroth nodded purposefully in their direction.

"The ShinRa Electric Company has been compromised by an independent nation formally recognised as Wutai. Peaceful negotiations are no longer an option. Men, we are at war."

* * *

Maya smiled sadly at Genesis' troubled side-profile. His brows were furrowed in deep thought as he bit the inside of his cheek in concentration. His gait was stiff and he occasionally scuffed his shiny leather dress shoes against the pavement as they walked side by side. The psychologist let her gaze drop to her own lace-up leather shoes as she sighed quietly to herself.

She still wore the loose fitting black work-slacks and leather shoes, however, she managed to change into a floral, fitted blouse and even clipped her hair into a loose, wispy do for her evening out with the Crimson Commander. She had tried to wear her black sandal heels from the party, just as Olivia had advised her to via text message, but that hadn't worked out too well. Maya let her warm gaze travel over to Genesis' handsomely dapper profile. Ever the fashonista, Genesis Rhapsodos was dressed in a slim-fit teal long-sleeved shirt and charcoal coloured slacks. Looped around the belt-holes was a shining, silver chain with a decorative Fire Materia dangling off the clasp. His hair was still the same, effortless perfection it always was. Maya let herself admire her date's side profile for a few moments longer before she concentrated on walking to their destination in silence.

Maya frowned slightly, feeling guilty for taking up the Crimson Commander's precious time. He should have been in that conference, discussing war strategies with Sephiroth, Lazard and Heidegger. He should have been _doing his job_. However, he dropped it all to be with her.

That wasn't right.

The chubby brunette fiddled with the ends of her wavy hair as she walked beside a silent Genesis Rhapsodos. Stealing a glance at him through her peripheral vision, Maya nodded to herself in determination.

She'd make this right.

She'd return his kind gestures with a special brand of kindness only Maya Sinclair was capable of delivering.

And though she knew he'd be less that impressed with her in the short-term, he'd be extremely grateful to her in the long-term.

That was all that she could ever ask for.

* * *

Genesis couldn't help but ruminate over Sephiroth's sharp tongued words over the phone just minutes ago.

_Lives are at stake! _

_This is __your_ job!

The Crimson Commander let out an inaudible groan, wary of Maya's presence. Shooting the quiet woman a curious look, he observed her as she shakily smiled up at him. Her usually warm, deep brown eyes looked saddened and subdued as she walked beside him that evening. Belatedly realising he was potentially being the worst date to ever grace the planet, Genesis quickly stepped towards his psychologist and wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders.

Maya gasped slightly as her shoulders stiffened at the contact.

"What are you doing?" Maya asked, her voice taking on an alarmed tone. Genesis shrugged and attempted to grin at the short woman as he noticed they were nearing the theatre.

"Keeping you warm. I must apologise for my rudeness- my mind was pre-occupied," Genesis truthfully answered with a shrug. Maya nodded uncertainly before turning her head to look in front of herself. Shaking her head slightly, she tilted her head up towards the murky looking sky of Midgar and let out a rather choked up laugh.

"I don't feel right," she whispered. Genesis frowned at her admission.

"What do you mean?" Genesis stopped short, a few meters away from the Loveless Theatre. Scowling slightly, Genesis attempted to take Maya's clammy hand into his own warm ones. Seeing this, the brunette angled her body away from his and took a precautionary step away from him.

"You asked me a question before we left the ShinRa Building…" Maya started speaking, her voice so soft, Genesis almost couldn't hear her over the chattering of the crowd waiting to enter the Theatre. Changing his posture into a more relaxed on, Genesis leaned on one of his legs as he crossed his arms, giving the psychologist his full attention. He noticed Maya gulp nervously before she continued to speak in her soft voice. "I said you were the Crimson Commander- Genesis Rhapsodos," deep brown eyes met glowing teal orbs amongst a rambunctious crowd. Genesis couldn't help but dread what would come out of the nervous woman's lips.

"Stop it—" Genesis commanded, his voice barely even as he maintained eye-contact with the mesmerising woman before him. Maya shook her head, bravely continuing to speak.

"You need to go and _be our Crimson Commander_. Loveless, this date, me… this is not important. We can spend time together when everything gets better," Maya urged, her eyes imploring Genesis to come to his senses.

Scoffing softly, Genesis rolled his eyes as his temper immediately soared. The woman was being difficult again… why did she have to be so damn difficult?

"So you're ready to ship your beloved off to war, then?" Genesis snapped, thoroughly annoyed. The young psychologist frowned and took a shaky step backwards, creating more distance between the two. Fists clenched at her sides, she stared up at the imposing Commander, tears pooling at the edges of her eyes. Genesis forced himself to glare into her deep, brown orbs- afraid that if he looked away, she'd disappear without voicing her thoughts.

Shaking her head, Maya shakily replied.

"You're _not_ my beloved. You're _not_ my date. You're barely qualifying as a friend. Genesis… you haven't even given me time to think about what I want for myself," Maya averted her gaze from Genesis' momentarily stricken face. The hurt in his glowing, teal eyes was evident and there for everyone to see. She felt a jolt of pain run through her chest, but refused to pay attention to it as the man standing in front of her- though not her lover- was still _very_ important to her.

Genesis steeled his features into a sneer, taking a step towards the slightly weepy woman standing in front of him. The weight of his decision to skip out on the war conference began to settle on his shoulders as Maya shed light on the nature of their relationship to him.

He was _forcing_ her into a relationship _she_ probably didn't even want.

Genesis barked out a laugh, startling Maya.

When Genesis remained silent after his bout of empty laughter, Maya timidly spoke up.

"I'm sorry… you are my friend. Truly, you've shown me so much kindness and patience," the elder Sinclair piped up, physically unable to lift her head look the passionate man in the eyes.

"No, I apologise for trying to pursue something that could _never_ eventuate." Genesis finished the exchange, in a clear and abrupt statement. Holding in a whimper, Maya willed her heart beat to calm itself.

Genesis fingered the two tickets in his pocket and sighed wistfully.

It was all such a waste.

Dragging the tickets out of his pocket, he threw them at Maya's feet before turning on his heel in a dramatic flourish. By now, the front of theatre was empty and the musical score for Act One melodiously floated into their ears. Maya's eyes widened at the sight of the tickets, her head immediately whipping in Genesis' direction. Seeing his retreating form, Maya forced herself to call after him despite her extremely fragile emotional state.

"Genesis," she called loudly. She detected a slight falter in his step. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "I'm truly, very sorry for hurting you." The auburn-haired First Class SOLDIER stood still for a short moment before chuckling dryly.

"_There is not hate, only joy… for you are beloved always,_" he stated confidently, a hint of bitterness in his aristocratic voice. It took Maya everything in her being not to cry while he was still in ear shot. She held on, waiting until he was a mere speck of a man in her vision before dropping down onto her knees to gather the tickets in her hands- silent tears trailing down her chubby, flushed cheeks.

* * *

Olivia worked neatly and efficiently around her organised clutter as she got ready to clock off for the evening. Sephiroth had been kind enough to allow her an early mark that evening while he stayed back in his office, revising over the Wutai War battle plans. Thinking back to earlier that day, the petite blonde couldn't help but grin as she recalled signing the Silver General up to the fan-club. With a user-name like _sxcseph69_, Olivia was positive no one would figure out his true identity. Olivia giggled as she recalled Sephiroth's adorable confusion as to why she included the number '69' in his user-name.

She'd just told him that it was all the rage these days.

He didn't ask any further questions- bless his soul!

The socially inept Silver General had also told her that Genesis and Angeal _owed_ him something as he had covered for them during the war conference. Olivia couldn't help but envelope the confused General in a bone-crushing hug as he forlornly declared in the privacy of his office that he had _no idea_ what the two owed him- that that distressed him immensely.

It had been approximately one and a half hours since she'd last seen Sephiroth exit his office, which probably meant that he was totally absorbed in his work. Olivia smiled proudly- only their Silver General was capable of being absolutely adorable one moment and a complete workaholic the next. Despite wanting to spend time with the General, Olivia knew that his job came first. Her lips morphed into a frown as she thought about Genesis and Maya. Sephiroth had informed her that Genesis was not present for the first half of the conference because he was out on date with Maya. However, she'd received a text message from Maya thirty minutes before the conference had finished which hinted that Maya was out and about in Loveless Avenue by herself.

Olivia's frown deepened as she recalled seeing a smartly dressed Commander Rhapsodos rushing towards the SOLDIER Briefing Room half way through the conference, his facial features contorted into a look that could only be a mixture of grief, embarrassment and annoyance.

Had he just left her out in the city by herself?

Olivia fumed silently as she pieced the information together in her head.

"That _fucking ass-hat_," the petite receptionist screeched as she imagined her emotionally fragile friend clumsily making her way back to the ShinRa Building all on her lonesome. "Someone's got to teach him a thing or two on how to treat a woman right! He doesn't even deserve my sweet, adorable, beautiful and incredibly intelligent Maya!" Olivia fumed loudly to herself as she shook her fist in front of her in the air.

"Ms. Jennings- do try to keep your voice down." Sephiroth called from his closed office in a reprimanding tone. Immediately flushing red, Olivia sat herself back down on her office chair.

"Ah, sorry General," she began to address Sephiroth when he called back, his voice exasperated.

"Sephiroth. Call me Sephiroth, Ms. Jennings." Olivia gaped slightly before standing and marching her way to his private offices' door. Knocking sharply, she wrenched the door open without waiting for a reply before stalking in with her hands on her hips.

"No. Youcall me Olivia. Then I'll call you Sephiroth." Olivia instructed sternly, hands on her hips as she stared down at a bewildered, seated Sephiroth. The Silver General gently placed his papers down on his immaculate desk and folded his hands in front of him, a smirk growing on his face.

"What's wrong with calling you Ms. Jennings?" he asked. Olivia could have sworn his voice got slightly deeper as he leaned forward on his desk, waiting for her answer.

Gulping, Olivia replied.

"You make me sound like some kind of teacher... or something," she trailed off uncertainly. Sephiroth chuckled quietly before shaking his head.

"You must be a teacher, you allow me to experience new things every day." Sephiroth intoned, his melodious baritone shaking Olivia to the core.

Letting her arms drop to her sides, Olivia fiddled with the sides of her fitted pants and shrugged.

"What kinds of things do I teach you?" the blond asked, her tone innocent.

Sephiroth pushed himself back, standing from his seat and walking around his desk, so that he was standing directly behind Olivia who hadn't had the guts to turn around and see what Sephiroth was doing. She shivered as she felt his warm breath hit the shell of her ear.

"Strange things… funny things… intelligent things… _sexual _things," Sephiroth whispered teasingly into the petite woman's ear. Olivia shuddered, her body frozen as she felt herself being pulled towards Sephiroth's chest. "I've never craved the touch of a woman… but you constantly drape yourself around me like I'm some kind of coat hanger," at this analogy, Olivia raised an eyebrow- Sephiroth's sexy charade momentarily forgotten as she whirled around in his arms wish a smirk on her glossed lips.

"Coat hanger? Really? That's the best you could come up with?" Olivia asked incredulously. Sephiroth rolled his eyes before pulling the petite blond impossibly closer to himself. Olivia gasped at the feel of Sephiroth's large, calloused hands around her waist. Holding her securely to him, he guided both of them towards the desk. Seating Olivia down, he leaned past her and dialled a number on his office phone.

Olivia concentrated on her breathing, not too concerned with what the Silver General was doing if it wasn't concerned with him making contact with her. Breathing in his pleasing scent, she reached up and ran her small hands through his silver locks, which were surprisingly smooth despite its tangled state after a long day of work.

"Genesis," Sephiroth spoke evenly into the receiver, his head nestled in the crook of Olivia's neck. "I have some pressing business to attend to- so I must ask a favour of you. I need you to go over the copy of battle details we were given during the conference. You are only required to look through and evaluate the second half, as I've already completed up to page 255. Thank you." Placing the receiver down before he heard any protest, he turned back to the petite blond vixen in his arms.

Olivia shot him a smouldering look with her hazel eyes.

"And what is this 'pressing business' of yours, General?" she teased, tightening her grip on his hair. Hissing slightly in pleasure, Sephiroth smirked down at his prey.

"I'm just going to have to show you, aren't I, Ms. Jennings?"

* * *

Walking around aimlessly for over two and a half hours, Maya found herself down in the Midgar Slums. Warm, dank and completely congested- the humid air suffocated the young psychologist as she trudged through the filth of her past home. The Sector Seven slums were by no means pleasant, nor were they an environment that allowed for the healthy development of a flourishing young mind like Reno's.

Maya choked in the polluted air around her and immediately coughed it out. Spluttering, she continued to walk forward, wary of the leery stares she was getting from the shady men who hung out in the hidden alley ways.

Tugging uncomfortably at her fitted blouse, she suddenly questioned why she hadn't just legged it back to the ShinRa Headquarters when she had the chance. Better yet, she should have just discreetly followed Genesis back to headquarters- that surely would have guaranteed her safety for sure.

The brunette felt yet another pang of pain in her chest as she recalled Genesis' stricken facial expression at her words. Before she could ponder his reaction further, a rather grimy looking man sauntered up to her confidently, his wide grin displaying his missing front teeth.

"Well, if it isn't little Maya," the short, unsightly man sneered as he forcefully grabbed Maya's forearm. The usually nervous woman stood straight and confidently glared at the man restricting her movement. Predictably, the man merely chuckled and held on tighter. "You've really filled out well, haven't ya doll face? Still workin' at the Honey Bee?" Maya averted her gaze, shame filling her features. Nevertheless, she replied back in a surprisingly forceful voice.

"I'm sure you'd know if I still did," Maya spat, her demeanour changing with her environment.

In the slums, no one could show weakness- especially people like her. Weakness attracted predators and in the slums, everything and everyone was free game. If she were to show her weakness to the filth in the slums, both she and Reno would not be working at ShinRa. Rather, they'd be lying dead in a ditch somewhere whilst starving dogs, cats, rats and mice fed on their rotting flesh.

Maya grimaced as she began to struggle against her childhood nightmare's grip.

She should have just gone straight home.

Hugh leered at her, eying her visible cleavage as he licked his lips.

"You look mighty pretty babe," he trailed off, forcefully pulling her closer. Maya's heartbeat began to race as she vehemently tried to keep up her tough slum-girl mask. "You know, I haven't had another since you just up and left. Where'd ya disappear to doll?" the young psychologist increased her struggling efforts as the scent of Hugh's rancid breath wafted into her nose. He was too close… this couldn't happen again.

She wasn't that girl any more.

She had a good job. Her brother found a dream to pursue. She had good friends…

She used to have Genesis. Maya frowned as she ceased her struggles for a small moment. Thinking back to her harsh words earlier that night, Maya sighed forlornly. Maybe this was her bad karma… for hurting Genesis in such a way.

And she said Sephiroth was the one with the anti-social tendencies.

"I've been working my way… towards a better life above the plate," Maya replied, outwardly calm. The grimy man who Maya knew as Hugh smirked as he worked his grimy hand up to Maya's shoulder, caressing her lewdly as he stood uncomfortably close to her.

"A better life, huh? I don't think ya deserve that. Ya just a slum girl- only good for one thing. Don't chase them unattainable dreams. Better yet, stop dreamin'. Dreamin's for the rich, and babe, yer as poor as they come." Hugh barked out a laugh, to which Maya responded with a sharp glare. If it weren't for her carefully placed mask, she would have been a weeping mess. She couldn't cry in front of him though. He'd just take advantage of her weakness and have his way with her… like so many times before. "Ya don't even have ya virginity to barter off anymore. Ha, imagine that… do those guys above the plate know you're a dirty whore?" the disgusting man laughed.

Maya let out a frustrated cry as she finally managed to get out of his grip. Stumbling away from the dirty scum bag, the young brunette spat at the man's feet and turned on her heel to quickly walk away from the devil from her past.

"I'm not that girl any more. I'm not a slum whore any more. It's not like I had any choice… we were _starving_. And I couldn't afford those university fees without that job." Maya rationalised with herself as she quickly walked towards the station.

Half an hour later, when she had safely boarded the train back above the plate, Maya let her mask crumble as the warm tears trailed down her face in shame.

She couldn't help but think of the inevitable look of absolute disgust on Genesis' face if he ever found out about her past.

Maya Sinclair let out a loud sob as she sat in her lonely seat, curled into herself.

It was hard to be strong for a prolonged period of time. It was hard to protect the weak for so long when one was extremely weak themselves.

"I just… don't know what to do." Maya cried quietly to herself, wondering how on Gaia such a beautiful and happy day managed to turn so sour.

Most of all, she couldn't help but applaud herself for potentially losing the one person who she felt she definitely didn't deserve.

"_There are no dreams for the slum-dweller, no honour remains for a mere slum-whore_," Maya spoke to herself, her voice choked up with tears. Raising her head from her wet hands, she stared out of the window. The eerie glow of the city greeted her.

Maya shivered.

She hadn't felt this dirty in a very long time.

* * *

**Note/ Fun Facts: **I feel the need to apologise profusely for this chapter. Seriously... this is the first time I wrote these scenes (both the Seph/Olivia and Maya/slum scumbag scenes) and I feel kind disturbed myself... it was necessary though. I couldn't just leave Maya's past alone and I'd actually had this planned since the prologue. Just to console you Gaya shippers (thanks Womble619 for the lovely ship name xD), the Loveless date hasn't been completely canned... just postponed for now. As usual, let me know if there are any errors, anything you feel is too racy for the rating/too confronting. Thanks! :)


	14. Chapter 14

**A.N:_ Hi all! After the feedback I got from last chapter, I realised that I was just being hard on myself as usual xD But nevertheless, I've written some humour into this chapter to counter-balance last chapter's angst. However, I feel that I may be falling into a seasonal depression (it's been known to happen- don't fret!) since I cant help but dish out more angst. Then again, I need to get Maya's past out of the way before I can move on to the bigger issue of Genesis and HIS complicated, diva-like feelings about everything that's wrong in his world. Thank you once again to all those who have followed, favourited, reviewed or just plain read this story! You guys keep me going! :D ALSO... I WAS SUPPOSED TO POST THIS CHAPTER EIGHT HOURS AGO BUT I WAS SENT TO BED AT 10PM! Seriously... I'm 20 years old... oh well- Mum's roof, Mum's rules xD *I love her oh, so much though! :)*  
_**

**_ANYWAYS; hope you all enjoy the chapter! :D_**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen-**

Zachary Fair stood opposite Angeal Hewley in the SOLDIER Training Room, the remnants of the virtual mission environment slowly falling away in pixels. The Second Class SOLDIER kept his head bowed, though he watched his mentor carefully through his charcoal coloured eye-lashes. From what he could see, the Raven Commander wasn't looking too impressed as he watched the Costa del Sol themed virtual environment fade to completely reveal the whirring insides of the mechanical Training Room. Zack winced and let his gaze fall back to his wet combat boots.

"Zack Fair, would you liked to enlighten me as to _why_ we finished training early today?" Angeal asked, his tone absolutely exasperated. The young SOLDIER in question raised his head as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I wasn't following instructions, sir." Zack answered, his tone unusually quiet. Angeal nodded, shifting his position into a more comfortable one as he folded his muscled arms in front of his chest. Softly glaring down at his charge, he spoke again.

"Do you recall the instructions I had given you?" he quizzed. Zack nodded silently before taking a deep breath.

"Do not draw attention to yourself. Do not engage the enemy. Retrieve the loot and meet at the rendezvous point discussed prior to commencing the mission," Zack winced slightly as he shifted his stance under his mentor's sharp gaze, forcing himself to finish relaying the specific instructions he was given before the training mission had commenced. "And… under no circumstances do you _run by the pool_." Zack finished, looking like a kicked puppy as he averted his gaze while his shoulders drooped further down.

Angeal shook his head at the pathetically endearing sight, but continued with his shaming questions. How else was he to learn, after all?

"And _what_ did you do, Zack?" the elder raven-haired SOLDIER asked, his voice soft, yet reprimanding like a strict yet loving father. Zack pouted at his wet shoes, his arms dangling beside his absolutely saturated uniform pants.

"I ran by the pool," Zack answered, sounding defeated. Angeal nodded, a hint of a smile on his face as he observed his mentee.

"Now, what happens when you don't follow planned orders during simple reconnaissance missions?" Angeal continued to drill, despite his barely hidden amusement. Luckily for him, Zack was too embarrassed to even lift his head to make eye-contact with his mentor.

"You fall into the pool and you catch _everyone's_ attention and then the bad guys get away with the prize and you're left drenched, cold and embarrassed," Zack finished, not even stopping to breathe as he spoke in a defeated voice. Angeal nodded at the dramatic answer- at least he got the important lessons out of the whole ordeal- and stepped forward to ruffle his charge's hair. Stepping back in shock, Zack's wide eyes met Angeal's amused glowing gaze.

"Lesson's over for today. You did well enough, so don't stress over it too much. It much more honourable to admit your faults than to stubbornly deny them." Zack nodded dumbly at Angeal's wise and inspiring words before straightening up into a salute.

"Thank you, sir!" relaxing his posture, Zack rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hey, Angeal… do you know if Doc's in today?" The First Class SOLDIER raised his eyebrows at his student's rather odd inquiry. Shaking his head, Angeal replied.

"You're referring to Maya, right?" Zack nodded earnestly, to which Angeal sighed dejectedly. "I can't say I know for sure. Did you have a session booked with her?" Angeal inquired, his voice taking on a concerned tone. Zack nodded, his own facial features showing concern over his psychologist's mystery absence.

"Yeah, _way_ back on Monday. It's already Thursday and there's still no sign of her! I thought about asking Commander Rhapsodos but… Olivia said that the last time the Commander came to see Sephiroth on Tuesday, he had _actual steam_ rising off out of his ears!" Zack explained, his eyes wide as he leaned forward towards Angeal while he spoke. Angeal almost rolled his eyes at his gossiping student. The kid really did believe _everything_ he heard around the building. The raven-haired First Class SOLDIER doubted the information was accurate, considering the source.

"I'm sure that was just an exaggeration. But if it makes you feel any better, I can ask Genesis for you later today," Angeal offered. Zack immediately broke into a grin as he nodded quickly, his eyes reflecting his inner excitement at the prospect of credible news on Maya's whereabouts.

"Man, thanks Angeal! You're the best!" throwing his mentor a quick thumbs up, Zack immediately bounded out of the Training Room, leaving a concerned Angeal to ponder on Maya's prolonged absence from the ShinRa Building.

Angeal frowned as he thought about Genesis' temperamental state for the past week.

Surely, his childhood friend must know something.

* * *

Prior to meeting Olivia Jennings, Sephiroth had never known what _embarrassment_ felt like. These days, however, the meanings underlying the word were strangely fitting when describing his current state of mind, body and spirit. Due to this new found _embarrassment_ around Olivia, Sephiroth had unsurprisingly found himself practicing his stealth and reconnaissance skills. Funnily enough, he only ever practised these skills around his own office and reception area.

Because those were the areas where a rather amused Olivia Jennings was to be found on a daily basis.

Sephiroth flushed a light pink at the thought of Olivia. He'd really messed that one up- big time. He didn't understand what had come over him that fateful Friday evening after the war conference but the results of his impulsive actions were extremely rewarding and pleasurable until _they were rudely interrupted_.

Sephiroth shook his head, his mixed Wutaian features morphing into a rare bashful look as he unwittingly re-lived the events of that evening yet again.

His hands grasping almost desperately at her hips as he nuzzled his face into her semi-exposed collar bone- taking in her pleasant fruity scent.

Her hands running up and down his own muscled back as she hooked a slim, tone leg around his hip.

Oh they were so… _impossibly_ close.

Her hands worked on the clasps and buckles of his famous leather trench coat as he simultaneously let his hands venture underneath her lacy blouse to experience the feeling of her soft skin under impossibly warm hands.

And when their lips _finally_ met, that brief moment of bliss he had experienced was shattered immediately at the sound of a shocked and revolted gasp by none other than Professor Hojo himself.

Sephiroth groaned in frustration as he re-lived that moment when everything kind of just froze and all three beings were stuck in limbo before Hojo manage to make even more of a spectacle of himself and started to screech rather violently at the blond vixen in his embrace.

The Silver General let his head slum onto his desk with a dull 'thunk'.

"Embarrassment… I never knew strong feelings such as these could last for almost a week. Maybe there's something wrong with me?" Sephiroth pondered out loud, his voice muffled as he spoke. He would have called Maya and asked her right there and then, however, from recent experiences during the past few days Sephiroth was almost certain that he'd be bestowed the great pleasure of hearing Maya's stuttering voice mail message _yet again_.

And, well, asking Olivia was out of the question- seeing as he was trying his best to _avoid_ the woman who took a strange enjoyment out of his evident discomfort about being caught fraternising with his receptionist.

Sephiroth groaned outwardly again.

He found himself wishing desperately to be sent to Wutai, if only to have a few days of familiar battles, strategies and discipline afforded to him…

Olivia was making him feel strange, new and uncomfortable things. Though he liked the pleasant feelings he got very much, he wasn't too happy about the lapses of concentration he experienced when dealing with the discomforts that came with embarrassment.

Sephiroth lifted his head and blew a few stray silver bangs out of his field of vision with a huff as he formulated what seemed to be a viable resolution to his problems. Standing up abruptly, Sephiroth made his way to his office door, yanking it open- only to be met with the vision of a rather startled looking Olivia at her desk.

The Silver General made his way directly to the root of his confusing issues and stood directly in front of her desk with his arms hanging awkwardly at his sides. Getting over her initial shock at Sephiroth's rather abrupt appearance, Olivia smiled up at him, slightly unsure of herself.

Sephiroth noted that Olivia wore a rather cute looking short-sleeved green floral summer dress with plain green flats. She let her hair hang loosely in a messy pony tail.

He couldn't help but smile at the woman he so obviously held in his affections.

"Good afternoon, Olivia." He greeted her simply. Olivia's smile broke out into a happy grin.

"Yay, you're calling me by my name!" Olivia exclaimed excitedly as she clapped her hands rapidly. Immediately calming herself, she straightened her posture and tilted her head up at the Silver General in question. "What brings you out of your cave, Seph? I thought you were scarred for life, or something," the witty blond quipped as an amused smirk formed on her glossed lips. Sephiroth rolled his eyes at his receptionist, relaxing his posture when he started feeling more comfortable.

Her ribbing wasn't _too_ bad, after all. He could take her teasing like a man.

"I am scarred for life. Imagine your doctor walking in on you as you tried to engage another in _the 'sex'_." Sephiroth whispered the last words of his statement, his eyes shifting suspiciously around the empty reception room looking for possibly eavesdroppers. With Zack and Kunsel wandering around the building- one could never be too careful. Olivia giggled at the General's antics and folded her arms in front of herself, leaning her elbows on her cluttered desk as she got comfortable.

It had been almost a week since she'd last talked to her General properly. She'd try to milk the whole experience for everything it was worth!

"Aww, you call it 'the sex'. That's so cute!" she cooed. Sephiroth felt his cheeks heat up, but never-the-less he tried to ignore his embarrassment as he stood in front of the happy young woman. Noticing Sephiroth's awkwardness, Olivia decided to change the topic to something more serious. Sephiroth flourished when it came to serious conversations. "Anyways, on other news… Maya's called in sick all week! What's up with that?" Olivia trailed off, her brows furrowed in concern.

Sephiroth quickly calmed down from his latest bout of embarrassment at the mention of his anxiety-prone best friend. He had previously figured that she was just busy, and since Hojo had returned from his science conference, Sephiroth couldn't risk being caught in Maya's office… not after the recent events that had just gone down in his own personal office. Now that Olivia had brought up Maya's absence, a dreaded feeling settled in the pit of the General's stomach.

"Dr. Sinclair _never_ misses work," Sephiroth stated, his voice wavering slightly. Olivia nodded, her eyes worried as she reached for the visibly distressed man's hand. Squeezing his bare hand in comfort, Olivia rubbed circles into his palm with her thumb to soothe him.

"Maybe… after work we can pay her a visit at home?" Olivia suggested. Sephiroth nodded, his expression steeled.

"Yes, that would be optimal." The Silver General confirmed formally. Olivia smiled as she loosened her grip, thinking that Sephiroth was feeling more stable.

She was shocked to find that his hand still held hers in strong grip, long after she's loosened her hold.

And so there she sat while he stood, for five minutes- this she was sure of- as Sephiroth worriedly pondered the whereabouts of the woman who he'd begun to consider his only family.

* * *

Genesis Rhapsodos glared at the profiles of the new cadets he'd watched his office mate authorise earlier last week. Just for the sake of saying he'd completed his work, the Crimson Commander signed each profile with a flourish- not even bothering to look over the details of each individual.

If some weak country bumpkin dreamed of being a hero, then today was his lucky day.

Completing his task in three minutes, Genesis glanced at Maya Sinclair's empty seat for the forty-second time that day. Or so he thought- for all he knew, he'd probably glanced up at the desk opposite his, hoping to see his nervous wreck of an office mate scribbling away diligently at her latest psychological report.

All his eyes enhanced eyes could see was an empty desk piling up with unfinished work, accumulating alarmingly fast from the beginning of the week.

Genesis frowned as he reached for his PHS and scrolled through his contacts for the fourth time that tremendously lonely week, stopping at the name that haunted his mind since that unfortunate Friday evening.

The Crimson Commander always loved himself a good tragedy.

Though now, it looked like he was living his own tragic love story.

The auburn haired First Class SOLDIER groaned in frustration as he thought of the lab-rat who quickly reduced his rationality into a mere memory.

He frowned, his eyes worried as he gazed down blankly at the folders piled neatly on his organised desk. He hadn't even bothered to call her… to make sure she was okay after the whole dramatic fall out they had.

'She doesn't deserve your concern, the heartless bitch!' Genesis' egoistical side barked within his mind. But the Crimson Commander shook his head.

'I wasn't exactly Prince Charming that evening….' Genesis mentally reprimanded his arrogant and selfish side.

Standing from his desk, Genesis clutched tightly onto his PHS- irrationally afraid to call her and just ask if she was doing okay.

What if she didn't want to be around him?

Maybe that was why she hadn't come in to work for so long…

Genesis sighed sadly, looking extremely tired- his aristocratic features looking drawn and absolutely miserable.

"I should have… been more careful with her," Genesis reasoned softly to himself as he straightened the collar on his red, leather duster before shutting off his PC and sweeping out of the lonely 'office'.

He refused to call it 'his' when Maya wasn't there to share it with him.

* * *

With Zack being… well _Zack_\- Kunsel Harringer had been inevitably informed of Maya's mysterious absence earlier that week on Tuesday. So of course, Kunsel found himself curious enough to use what contacts he _did_ have to perform some miscellaneous research on the sweet psychologist's background. However, with all the theory lesson plans he had to work on for the new batch of cadets coming in less than four days' time, he barely had a second to spare for pursuing his troublesome hobby.

He'd finally found a reprieve from all of his reading and planning though that very late Thursday afternoon. Grinning to himself from behind his customary SOLDIER issue head gear, Kunsel made his way towards the ShinRa computer lab. The place was usually deserted at that particular time simply because having dinner at the ShinRa Cafeteria with work colleagues was apparently much more fun to the regular guy that spending two whole hours on a database full of limitless information and dark secrets.

Kunsel chuckled dryly to himself as he entered the Computer Lab on the seventh floor of the ShinRa building. Making a bee-line for his favoured computer in the back corner of the lab, Kunsel quickly jabbed his gloved finger into the power button and wrenched his helmet off his head before he sat back in the surprisingly comfortable office chair. He proceeded to wait patiently for the home-screen to appear on the monitor.

After a few moments of waiting, Kunsel silently cheered as he typed in the stolen credentials of none other than Tseng of the Turks.

No one had higher clearance than the Turks, after all.

Kunsel smirked to himself as the generic 'welcome' message flashed upon the darkened screen before displaying a plain blue desktop with an identification picture of Tseng on the top right hand corner along with his rank and clearance details.

**Name:** _Tseng_

**Rank: **_Department of Administrative Research- Assistant Commander_

**Clearance Level: **_Level 5: Maximum Clearance_

Kunsel grinned to himself as he used the search tool bar conveniently located on the desktop to locate his most visited haunt- the Private and Confidential Employee Data Files.

However, just as he was about to double-click on his desired file, he jumped rather violently as a feminine sounding presence cleared her throat from directly behind him. Whirling around on his office chair, Kunsel gasped as he took in the sight of none other than the mascot of the Turks- Cissnei.

Standing with her hands on her hips and a surprisingly impressed look on her girlish features, Cissnei leaned over Kunsel's shoulder- completely ignoring the fact that the young Second Class SOLDIER seemed to be turning an unhealthy shade of red as he tried to splutter out an excuse for having her superior's log-in details.

"Wow, so you're the guy who's been breaching the system. I've got to say- I expected to see either Reno or Chase's log-ins being used…" Cissnei trailed off as she finally leaned back from her bent position and made eye-contact with the SOLDIER sitting in front of her.

Caught off guard by his multi-coloured eyes, Cissnei gasped softly before composing herself and clearing her throat once more. Seeing this, Kunsel smiled warily at the cute young woman standing imposingly in front of him. She was a fully-fledged Turk- there was _no_ doubt in his mind about that.

"Give me two hours and _I swear_, you can use me for target practice if you want to!" Kunsel bargained, his eyes wide with hope. The young Turk in his presence fiddled with the cuffs of her immaculately worn uniform before she sighed and nodded.

"Sure, but I'm staying to monitor your activities. We've all been wondering what you've been looking at in our confidential employee files," Cissnei explained as she pulled up a nearby chair and settled onto it in a comfortable position. Shrugging indifferently, Kunsel turned back to the screen and double-clicked on his desired folder. Typing _Maya Sinclair_ into the search bar (which earned Kunsel a confused look from Cissnei), he pressed enter and waited patiently for the software to comb through the millions of data files it contained to find the correct match.

Taking this opportunity to glance at the quiet, yet curious, Turk- Kunsel fiddled with his uniform pants as he opened his mouth to address the young beauty.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to introduce myself- but since you've seen my face, there's no point in hiding my identity. I mean, from what I've heard about you and your legendary network of contacts- you could figure out what I had for breakfast five years ago on this very day in a matter of hours!" Kunsel exclaimed enthusiastically before realising he was rambling. Blushing slightly, the handsome Second Class SOLDIER offered a timid hand out to an amused looking Cissnei. "The name's Kunsel Harringer- SOLDIER Second Class." He introduced himself, his voice taking on a rather quiet tone.

Nodding her head in acceptance, Cissnei grasped his gloved hand in her own small, bare one.

"Hi Kunsel," she couldn't help but giggle, "I'm Cissnei- but apparently, you already know," she jested as she retracted her hand. Pointing to the screen, she smirked at the flustered SOLDIER. "Maya Sinclair's file is up," Cissnei frowned slightly as Kunsel immediately turned back to the screen with wide, alert eyes. "Why are you looking up Reno's sister, anyways?" she asked, her tone incredulous.

"You know Zack Fair?" Cissnei hummed in affirmation. "He's worried about her, so I decided I'd snoop around and find her address or something so that he could possibly go and surprise her," Kunsel lied smoothly. He couldn't have Cissnei know that he was snooping around for his own amusement- that would look really shallow. He didn't want to seem shallow in her eyes, no- not at all!

Cissnei frowned as she tilted her head in confusion.

"In that case, you could have just asked Reno—"

"He's on a mission—"

"Even the ladies at the front counter have that basic info—" Cissnei reasoned, her voice rising as she challenged Kunsel further. Kunsel rolled his eyes, realising quickly that _nothing_ got past the Turks. Taking a deep breath, he threw caution to the wind and decided to divulge the truth.

"Okay, you got me- I was curious about her disappearance. I wanted to look into her past and see if I could infer the reason behind her prolonged absence. _Happy_?" Kunsel asked, his voice exasperated. Cissnei grinned triumphantly for a minute moment before steeling her features into a cool and composed expression.

"There, that wasn't so hard- now was it?" Cissnei cooed sarcastically. Kunsel merely rolled his eyes and blocked her distracting presence out, opting to read through Maya's surprisingly short profile.

Cissnei brought her chair closer to Kunsel's, so that their knees were touching as they read the profile together. Cissnei wouldn't openly admit it, but even she was curious about the Sinclair family.

For the first three pages, there was nothing particularly interesting noted about Maya. It was just simple family history, birth place, date of birth information. Why each field needed _one whole page_ for themselves would forever remain a mystery to Kunsel. Shaking his head of the stray thoughts criticising ShinRa's practicality, Kunsel skipped over to the fourth (or the second-last) page and pulled himself closer to the monitor as details of Maya's past employment filled the screen.

Scrolling down, Kunsel had to do a double-take when his eyes skimmed over a rather risqué image of Maya, aged fifteen. In the picture, she looked to be at least fifteen kilograms lighter that her current plump, cuddly figure. Sporting a rather revealing blue mini-dress on her slim, milky-white curvaceous body- a younger Maya stood confidently on the side of a dirty side walk in Wall Market, a flirtatious smile fixed on her face. Gulping dryly, Kunsel turned his head to the side to take in Cissnei's reaction to the picture. He was surprised to see that her facial features were fixed into a mask of cool aloofness. Raising her eyebrows at the shocked SOLDIER Second Class, Cissnei addressed him quietly.

"She lived in the slums with no way to support herself and Reno- what else did you expect?" Kunsel remained silent, nodding slightly before turning back to the employment profile. Though not incredibly detailed, Kunsel knew that it didn't have to be.

"She worked at… the Honey Bee Inn?" Kunsel asked out loud, even though it was there in front of him in the confidential data files. He got no answer.

It wasn't like he needed an answer anyways. Taking a deep sigh, he clicked on the next button, seeing that they were up to the fifth and final page of the file.

Medical history.

Kunsel gulped before scrolling down and skimming through the confronting information.

_Maya Sinclair, aged sixteen, attended the General Wall Market Clinic on this day to conduct a compulsory quarterly pregnancy test as stated in her contract with the Honey Bee Inn. The procedures found her to be carrying a two month old foetus in her fertalised womb. As per the contract, the client was advised to proceed with an abortion. The procedure was a success with no further complications. We suggest a follow-up appointment with us in another two months._

Kunsel barely registered Cissnei sniffle quietly behind him as he read the profile, horror evident on his face.

It was as if she had no choice at all…

Scrolling further down, Kunsel's eyes hardened as he found himself scowling at the five similar accounts over the span of two years of Maya's abortion process from the same clinic.

Not able to handle any more, Kunsel quickly exited from the data base and immediately logged off Tseng's account. Turning to Cissnei, he offered her a weak smile of consolation as he stood from his chair. Cissnei quickly rubbed at her irritated eyes as she stood with him. Briefly making eye-contact, the two resourceful individuals placed their chairs back in their original positions and wordlessly made their way out of the computer lab.

It was that day that the two young networkers realised that there were times when it was better to just…

… to just _leave things be._

* * *

**Note/ Fun Facts:  
**Kunsel's surname and appearance (especially the beautiful and mesmerising multi-coloured eyes!) are derived from **Womble619's depiction of Kunsel in his fic _Fearing the 1st_. This is also where the Kunsnei ship has been derived from :D **Also, my apologies to readers who may be offended or hurt by my obvious dislike of the abortion process. It's just my personal opinion- I harbour no ill feelings to those who _choose_ to go under the process :) Rather, I'm more passionate about _forced abortions_\- where the mother feels that she has NO OTHER CHOICE but to abort due to their circumstances. Ah, I don't think I'm making too much sense. I'll stop now... ALSO the 'running by the pool' dialogue is actually an idea I got from the great **Xanazumaki who did a brilliant job on the Legend of Zelda Abridged Series on Youtube!** Go check it out if you have the time- if you enjoy my humour and are a Zelda fan, then his sense of humour should be right up your alley (though I do admit that he is much more... 'dirtier' in his humour xD). Thanks again for having a read and let me know if there are any errors or anything you liked in particular! :D


	15. Chapter 15

**A.N: _Hello everyone! I'm back with another chapter- YAY! :D You loyal readers must be super happy with the quick turn-around times for these chapters lately. However, I have some bad news regarding the quick updates: I officially start university in three days and am quite busy with work too so from the 2nd of March 2015, expect WEEKLY updates uploaded every Sunday/Monday. Also, I'll let you guys all know if I am to take a hiatus on writing if university/work start to overwhelm me xD But please be assured that I will do my best to continue writing this story- it's FAR from over. As a matter of fact, we've just begun :O I'm pleased to announce that this AU will play out waaaaay past Dirge of Cerberus since Genesis is the main man of the plot and I am incorporating canon events into my AU (as you can probably tell... or maybe not- AS I SAID, WE'RE JUST STARTING NOW LOL). So I'd just like to take the time to thank you all for sticking around and reviewing, following, favouriting and just plain taking a look out of curiousity- you support is what has kept this fic alive and fed with muses and what not :P_**

**_Now, I'll stop being sappy and informative and all that- enjoy this chapter guys! The angst is starting to turn into fluff again! YAY! :D_**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen-**

Strolling rather briskly in the middle of the litter-filled roads of Wall Market, Reno let his electo-mag rod rest against his shoulder as he walked side by side with none other than his new _silent_ partner Rude. The artificial red-head shot his partner a rather scathing look as he recalled the dramatic event that had put a quick end to their assignment at Don Corneo's recently acquired mansion located in the outskirts of Sector Six.

"I'm tellin' ya man, he grabbed _my ass_ right there in front of everyone! How would _you_ react if some pimp copped a feel of your muscular tush?" the red-head exclaimed loudly, drawing attention from a few giggling slum kids playing on a trash heap a few meters away. Rude grunted in response to his young partner's question, clearly amused by the young man's antics.

Sure, Reno had proved to be a troublesome partner- but they got _most_ of the job done without consequence. It wasn't like Tseng had expected them to be able to infiltrate the mansion anyways. Rude could well and truly say that he was impressed with the newly promoted Turk's performance. The stoic man glanced at his partner and allowed himself to smirk at the young man's agitated gait.

They'd have to work on his hot-headedness. Turks did not have the luxury to allow their feelings to get in the way of the job.

Reno frowned at his partner's lack of vocal response, turning on the taller man with one hand on his hip as the other hand was currently holding onto his electro-mag rod like a life-line.

"Bro I swear, you're like _selectively mute_ or something! Seriously, what does a man have to do to have a decent conversation around here?" Reno complained, his face contorted into an expression of annoyance. Rude rolled his eyes at Reno from behind his shades and shrugged.

"How will we get into the mansion?" Rude's smooth baritone mingled with the shouts and laughter of the slum children. Mouth dropping open, Reno stared at his older partner in disbelief.

"_Dude_, we just finished our assignment! We've clocked off! Tell me about yourself, partner!" Reno spoke rather theatrically. Rude tilted his head to the side, his eyes mischievous as he opened his mouth to reply.

"I was born in a prison." He deadpanned, the corner of his lips tilting up into an amused smirk as Reno groaned in frustration.

"Oh, come on man! Don't be like that, I was just being an ass hole that day—" the young Turk pleaded.

"You hurt my feelings." The stoic Turk cut Reno off. Reno frowned at this.

"I thought Turks didn't have feelings!" he accused.

"We do when it's convenient." Rude shrugged nonchalantly. And with that said, he walked past a flabbergasted Reno.

Gathering his bearings, the young Turk rolled his eyes as he jogged to catch up with his partner's long strides.

"Rudolph, you're a real dick, ya know?" Nevertheless, Reno found himself grinning as he caught up with his stoic, selectively mute partner in crime.

Rude's brow twitched in repressed annoyance at the mention of his full name. Turning to his young partner, Rude unceremoniously swatted the back of Reno's bright red mane. There was a reason why the Turks operated under code names- to avoid having their true identities being traced. The precaution was not only taken for the personal safety of operative members of the Department of Administrative Research. It was also a diversionary mechanism, providing those who held Turks in ill grace very little to go on when researching a Turk's family for extortion purposes.

Not that Reno seemed to care all the much about that little formality.

The red-haired Turk shot his annoyed partner a wounded look as he stumbled from the force of the blow.

"Yo, that's not cool man! I could have face-planted into the ground or some shit," Reno complained as he rubbed the back of his head. Rude sighed and pulled his partner forward by the cuff of his sleeve- immediately feeling sorry for his spontaneous act of violence. It's not like the kid knew any better.

"Sorry man," Rude replied curtly, his voice softening in genuine remorse. This got Reno grinning again as he rubbed the back of his head in a rather timid manner.

"No problems. So, you were sayin'… you want to bust into that loser's over-glorified shag-shack?" Reno reminded, his voice all business. Rude nodded his head, keeping his eyes forward as he surveyed his immediate surroundings. Taking a quick glance at Reno, he noticed that the younger man was keeping a discrete eye out for trouble in his peripherals.

Smart boy.

"It's part of the assignment. Gather information about illegal activities. Infiltrate the base." Rude smirked. Reno spared the tall, tan man a side-long glance as his own smirk graced his lips.

"No kiddin'," Reno grinned widely, stopping abruptly on the side walk whilst pulling Rude to a stop alongside him. "Look, I have the _perfect_ idea—" Rude gulped involuntarily at the sound of Reno's mischief laden voice. He had a feeling he knew what the younger man was about to propose.

"No cross-dressing." Rude deadpanned, feeling his face flush in barely restrained laughter at Reno's crest-fallen expression.

"But it would be completely justified, yo!" the red-head argued emphatically. Rude merely shook his head and resumed walking forward. His partner was absolutely ridiculous. He couldn't help but wonder what the procedure was to apply for a replacement partner. He was already completely _over_ Reno's absurdity and he'd only been on assignment with him for less than a week!

Ignoring the twitching vein on Rude's temple, Reno continued speaking passionately.

"Think about it, yo! Don's a flippin' perve who drools at anything with boobs and legs. I'm pretty sure we can _make boobs_ using a padded bra and oranges," Reno spoke in hushed excitement as he practically danced around an exasperated Rude. "Bro, we don't even need to ask for back-up to fetch us supplies! We passed a fruit stall a few minutes ago back there _and_ all you need to do is give me ten minutes with one of those floozy's standin' around the alley ways and we'll have a perfectly functional push-up bra!" Reno stopped in front of Rude, forcing Rude to stop abruptly. "I'm _confident_ I can turn you into the hottest girl in Wall Market!" Reno exclaimed loudly. At this stage, the red-head was completely up in Rude's personal space- his nose mere inches away from Rude's own.

Rude merely blinked from behind his shades before shaking his head incredulously and side-stepping his seemingly crazy partner. Reno's mouth fell open in befuddlement as he jogged to catch up with Rude's impossibly fast gait.

"Fuck that, man." Rude murmured as Reno approached. Reno opened his mouth to advocate the benefits of his _amazing_ plan further when Rude's eyes widened in relief at the sight of a decent looking fast-food joint. Ignoring the fact that Reno's stomach was like a bottomless pit, Rude spoke hurriedly. "Let's eat. My shout." The tall Turk spoke curtly. Not waiting for his confused-yet perfectly happy- partner's reply, he hurried into the goddess-given burger joint.

Not a moment later, Reno bounded in and practically jumped onto Rude's back, laughing happily and making a scene in public.

"Aw, man I think I'm fallin' in love with you. I'm really likin' this new 'partner' system!" Reno cooed affectionately before jumping off Rude's back. The barely composed man merely coughed in embarrassment before forcefully shoving his partner into a booth and hurrying to the counter to place an impossibly large order for the two of them.

If he was lucky, Reno would eat so much that his insides would explode.

Then he'd get a new partner and there would be no need for cross-dressing.

Rude sighed, his shoulders dropping in defeat as the reality of having a partner like Reno sunk in.

Oh, he was in _deep_ shit.

* * *

Clarissa let out a breath of relief as the helicopter finally touched down onto the ground without incident. Shooting her superior a scathing look, she immediately wrenched off her head-set and practically ripped her seatbelt off before diving out of her seat and onto the safe, stable ground.

Though the ground was a dusty mess, she couldn't bring herself to care less as she took in deep gasps of air, trying to calm her crazily beating heart. Her eyes narrowed as she heard hesitant footsteps approach her. Glaring at the once immaculately shiny leather shoes that entered her field of vision, she continued to try to calm herself.

The owner of the shoes cleared their throat.

"Your motion sickness is rather unfortunate," a smooth, deep voice spoke- interrupting the silence that was characteristic of Midgar's surrounding wastelands. The caramel haired Turk whipped her head up to glare at none other than her superior- Tseng.

"What's more unfortunate is your goddess-forsaken piloting!" Clarissa spat hatefully. Tseng winced slightly as he moved to crouch beside his rather green looking comrade.

"My apologies- piloting is not my speciality," Tseng stated simply, bringing his hand over to Clarissa's back, massaging between her shoulder blades with care. The younger Turk rolled her eyes at her superior's statement but didn't show any signs of rejecting his attempts at comforting her.

"Oh really? I didn't notice," she retorted sarcastically. Silence reigned between the two Turks for a short moment before Clarissa sighed in irritation. "I don't get it… you _knew_ I topped the piloting course this year. Why insist to pilot when I am perfectly capable of doing a _better_ job than you!" Clarissa complained, her voice taking on a whiny quality. Tseng couldn't help but let the corner of his lips tilt up in a semi-smile.

"I was testing you on your assertiveness." Tseng replied, continuing his motions to ease his subordinate's discomfort. Wrenching herself away from Tseng's touch, Clarissa sat her bottom on the ground.

"You're not serious, are you?" the caramel-haired beauty asked, her tone void of emotion. Tseng allowed himself to openly smirk at the Turks' resident 'fire-cracker'. She was like the equivalent of Genesis within the ranks of the Turks- her temper was _legendary_. Still, Tseng couldn't help but tease the woman into one of her fits of rage. One of the many perks of being second-in-command in the Department of Administrative Research was that as long as he operated in the interests of the company, he was virtually _untouchable_.

Not many knew this, but Tseng was quite the closet troll once he let his stoic, no-nonsense guard down amidst those he considered friends.

"I don't know _Clarey_, you tell me," Tseng replied in a teasing tone. Clarissa's eyes narrowed as she heard her dreaded nick-name.

"I'm gonna shoot your face with my shot-gun. Right in that stupid dot on your forehead. I told you guys _not_ to call me that unless we were on an assignment," The youngster mumbled as she finally felt brave enough to stand. Eyeing the ignition key for the chopper in Tseng's hand, Clarissa held her open palm out, her eyes imploring.

Tseng in turn raised his eyebrows at the young woman.

"We are on assignment. And what's with your hand? Are you waiting for me to escort you to the pilot's seat?" Tseng inquired, his eyes sparkling in mischief. Clarissa rolled her eyes, darting forward and snatching the keys out of his loose grip.

"Far out. I swear, the suitability criteria for men to join the Turks must be 'to be a complete douchebag'. _No man _in this damn division knows how to treat a woman!" Tseng smirked as he watched a fuming Clarissa march her way to the pilot's seat of the helicopter. Masking his evident relief from not having to fly the damn contraption back into Midgar (Leviathan only knew how much he'd sweat _hoping_ he didn't crash into the President's Office rather than landing on the roof as he'd be intending to), Tseng methodically strapped himself into his much preferred passenger seat.

Adjusting his headset, Tseng regarded the simmering woman to his left.

"We're not all douchebags all the time. Just around you. Because you're family. Lighten up, Clarey." Tseng spoke lightly as the whirring of the chopper began to cause the aero-vehicle to vibrate. Clarissa sighed through her own headset as she prepared for take-off.

"Look who's talking, _Mr. I've-got-a-stick-up-my-ass-ninety-five-percent-of-the-time_," Clarissa mocked. Tseng frowned at this.

"At least I'm not known as the _female Genesis_," the Wutaian native retorted wittily. Clarissa groaned in frustration as the two Turks were slowly taken higher and higher up into the air.

"Damn it, I thought that wasn't a thing around the office!" she screeched loudly, making Tseng wince at the impossibly loud feedback he'd received through the headset. Shooting her a stern glare, he shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't make such a big deal out of it- let the guys have their fun; who knows how long they'll be alive to poke fun at your temper tantrums," Tseng spoke, his voice suddenly serious and thoughtful. Clarissa cleared her throat quietly, her anger dissipating quickly as the mood turned sombre. Turning her head slightly, she nodded in her superior's in reluctant agreement.

"I guess you're right…" she paused before turning back to look to her front. Fiddling with the navigation stick, she found that she would have rather had Tseng bickering with her the whole way back to the ShinRa Building rather than just the deafening whirring of the chopper blades over-head. Shaking her head slightly, she straightened her posture and cleared her throat. "We'll be back at headquarters in approximately ten minutes." Clarissa stated in her professional 'Turk voice'.

Tseng nodded, barely hearing her as he got lost in his own thoughts about his comrades.

They were his family. He was sending his _family_ out to do horrible, dirty… vile things.

Tseng shuddered as the faces of each of his Turks flashed before his eyes.

They were all _so young_.

Sighing quietly, Tseng murmured to himself- temporarily forgetting that the headset would pick up every word he'd say.

"I'll protect you all. You're my family. I won't lose my family _again_."

Clarissa's hands tightened on the controls, her heart racing as she heard her superior's emphatic statements through her headset. She willed herself to be quiet, instead throwing all of her concentration into flying.

If he was doing his all to protect them, then she'd return the favour and keep him- _and the others_\- safe from harm however she could.

That was Clarissa's silent promise.

* * *

Angeal folded his arms as he fixed the slightly older man in front of him with a reprimanding glare. Genesis squirmed slightly under the raven-haired First's intense gaze as he gave his dear friend time to digest the word vomit he'd just bestowed upon him.

"Let me get this straight," Angeal started, his voice disarmingly calm. "You _threw_ the tickets at her feet and left her there all by herself?" Angeal re-iterated. Genesis gulped, tilting his head to the side in an act of nonchalance.

"You're very good at this reflective listening stuff, my friend—"

"Genesis, shut up!" Angeal spoke quietly, but sharply. Shutting his mouth, Genesis could do nothing but watch his friend slowly build up his rage right before his eyes. Genesis couldn't help but shudder in slight fear. It wasn't easy to get Angeal mad- he used to think that anyone who managed to get Angeal mad was wholly deserving of being called a monster.

Right now, Genesis was very quickly making the usually mellow man's temper rise exponentially.

Genesis' eyes widened, partly from fear and partly from wonder. Watching the transformation from mellow to rage was quite interesting as a spectator. As the subject of said rage… Genesis was certain his fear would surpass his wonder all in a matter of moments.

Taking in a sharp breath, Angeal quickly walked towards Genesis. Genesis couldn't help but shrivel up and wince as he waited for a strong punch to make impact upon his perfectly chiselled facial features. When nothing of the sort came, the auburn-haired Commander slowly opened his eyes, only to see Angeal's unimpressed expression staring right back at him.

Genesis raised his arms in surrender.

"You can't tell me I was wrong in assuming you had thought about punching the living daylights out of me," Genesis argued. Angeal merely shook his head and gestured at Genesis' desk chair.

"You're an idiot. Bring your chair out from behind your desk and sit down. We've got a lot to talk about." Angeal replied, wheeling Maya's chair out from behind her seemingly abandoned desk. Genesis shot the raven Commander a strange look.

"What are you doing?" he inquired in an uncharacteristically small voice. Angeal raised his eyebrows at Genesis as he followed the older man's line of sight to the chair in his grasp.

"I'm… going to take a seat," he replied carefully.

"But… that's Maya's seat." Angeal sighed, raking a hand through his neat locks. Genesis had it _real_ bad for Maya- that was as clear as day.

"Would you feel better if you sat on her chair?" Angeal asked, his voice even as he patiently waiting for Genesis to reply. The Crimson Commander nodded silently before standing up and making his way to Maya's desk chair. Hesitating for a slightly moment, Genesis looked into Angeal's clear, blue eyes for some kind of permission. Remaining patient, the younger man nodded firmly as he raised a hand to pat his troubled friend on the back in support. "Go on, I'll just use your chair."

Once Genesis was finally seated, Angeal relaxed himself into the Crimson Commander's chair and then commenced to take a few moments to just observe the man sitting before him.

With dark circles surrounding Genesis' brilliant teal eyes, it was clear that the Crimson Commander was not getting nearly enough sleep. As a matter of fact, Genesis' early mornings and late evenings in the office that week were starting to make a lot more sense to him just by a brief time of observation. Genesis Rhapsodos was definitely missing Maya Sinclair.

He was probably also feeling bad for his dramatic abandoning of her that past Friday.

Angeal let out yet another exasperate sigh.

"Goodness Gen, what am I going to do with you?"

Genesis' eyes widened slightly before the beginnings of a smirk formed at the corners of his lips.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Genesis quipped, although his soft voice clearly signalled that he had not nearly enough energy for his usual hostile banter. Angeal shook his head, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as he clasped his hands under his chin in thought.

"Genesis, get serious. Maya's absence has obviously taken its toll on you. You look terrible!" Angeal pointed out, his voice rising slightly at the sight of Genesis' passive facial expression.

"What makes you think it's that filthy lab-rat's absence that has me in such a state?" Genesis scoffed, turning his gaze away from the Banoran man sitting in front of him. Angeal raised his eyebrows as he watched the arrogant man before him shrink further into Maya's chair as he spoke.

"You _know_ you're just lying to yourself. Don't try to deny it. She hurt your feelings, you hurt hers and now you're hurting because you know she's hurting," Angeal explained, his deep and gentle voice resonating around the small 'office'. Genesis sighed, his breath hitching slightly as Angeal's words hit him right where it hurt.

It was true. He was so disappointed with Maya's words that night- with her _rejection_\- that he'd gone and turned his back on her, leaving her all alone without even once considering how she really felt about the whole ordeal.

For all he knew, she only said those things to get him back to the ShinRa Headquarters so that he could show his face at the war conference.

Word around the SOLDIER head office was that the Director was planning on deploying the Crimson Commander as the Head of Commando Operations at the Wutai War Front. All because he's actually _turned up_ that terrible Friday evening for the final moments of the damn conference.

Genesis tensed his shoulders as he forced himself to stay amiable in his friend's presence. It was a trying battle indeed- having to fight with his urge to burn something to a crisp with the amount of rage he directed at himself for being such an ass hole.

Angeal frowned at the tense expression on Genesis' aristocratic features.

"Have you tried calling her?" the raven-haired Commander asked gently. Genesis shook his head, his immaculately styled auburn locks falling into his eyes. He did nothing to push them away as he sat with his head bowed. Angeal couldn't help but worry for the usually proud man.

_Love… it does strange things to even the proudest of us_.

Angeal's eyes widened at this confronting thought.

Love…

The raven-haired man's mouth dropped open as he took in the sight of a soul-less Genesis Rhapsodos. Sitting before him, Angeal didn't see the Crimson Commander who was famous for his fiery temper. Nor did he see the arrogant, stylish Casanova most believed him to be. Before him he saw Genesis Rhapsodos- a man who looked lost, terrified, confused and somewhat blank… and all because he was at the mercy of cupid's damn shots of love.

Angeal snapped himself out of his thoughts as Genesis shook his head in defeat.

"I can't explain why I fear calling her- I've thought about it so many times. My fingers hover over the call button. I have an email to her saved in my drafts folder… 'Geal- I just want to go back in time and take everything _slower_ for her sake!" Genesis ground out, frustration evident as he pulled at fistfuls of his auburn locks. Angeal placed a comforting hand on Genesis' shoulder, steadying the volatile man as he gazed at him with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I think you and Maya need to talk about how you both _really_ feel. From what I gathered from your recount, it seems that Maya _wanted_ to go and see Loveless with you. However, knowing that you threw aside your childhood dream for a night with her, she felt obligated to lead you back to your dream no matter what the cost would be," Angeal took a deep breath, glancing at his dumbfounded friend and offering a kind smile before continuing to advise the elder, yet naïve friend in front of him. "She said those hurtful things to you because she knew you'd react in a way that would make you realise that she might not be worth giving up your dreams for." Angeal concluded.

Genesis frowned at his friend's words.

"I never acted in such a way that Maya could infer she wasn't worth pursuing further," Genesis stated calmly. Angeal rolled his eyes at this.

"You _threw_ those tickets at her feet and basically legged it from the theatre without her. If I were Maya, I'd be quite confident in saying that I'd accomplished my mission in convincing Genesis Rhapsodos that I'm not worth his time and effort." Angeal explained, his voice rising slightly as he tried to hammer his message into Genesis' head. However, Genesis merely shook his head silently.

Angeal sighed, standing up as he figured that both he and Genesis had said all that needed to be said.

"Look, just talk to her—"

"_There is not hate, only joy… for you are beloved always_," Genesis spoke softly, interrupting Angeal. The younger Banoran raised his eyebrows incredulously.

"Gen, are you sassing me? Do you really think this is the time to quote Loveless?" Angeal asked, getting annoyed. Genesis resisted the urge to growl in frustration as he stood from Maya's seat and began to pace the small walking space within the 'office' he and Angeal currently occupied.

"No, you moron! It's the last thing I said to her," Genesis barked, flushing pink as he briefly explained the significance of the modified quote to his childhood best friend.

Angeal found himself grinning at the rather timid looking Crimson Commander standing before him.

"Oh, I see…" Genesis snapped his head in Angeal's direction, sending him a withering glare.

"Angeal," Genesis warned. The raven Commander shrugged his shoulders innocently.

"What? I wasn't going to say anything!" Angeal smirked before getting serious again. "Genesis, just _talk to her_. I'm sure she's waiting for your call. She's probably in just as much turmoil as you are." Angeal coaxed gently as he stood up.

At that very moment, his PHS began to ring. Glancing at the screen of his PHS, Angeal's narrowed as he caught sight of Zack's caller ID. Throwing the barely older man a supportive smile, Angeal reached out to ruffle his auburn hair- just like when they were kids playing in the orchards in Banora.

"I've got to go now- Zack's probably in trouble with the executives for that stupid prank he played on Scarlet on Tuesday. You remember, the one with the dozen of fake cockroaches in her desk drawer?" Angeal clarified hurriedly. Genesis nodded, a small smirk appearing on his face.

"Yeah- that was a good one. Farewell for now, my friend." Angeal nodded his farewell before jogging out of the 'office', his voice carrying down through the sterile hallway as he berated his student, although Genesis detected a hint of pride in Angeal's voice as it faded.

Finally left alone, Genesis fished his own PHS out of his pocket and scrolled down to Maya's contact file. After a few moments of contemplation, Genesis let out a loud, breathy sigh before pressing 'call' and raising his PHS to his ear in nervous anticipation.

He internally prayed that she'd bless him with her soft, shaky voice that he had grown to like so much.

If he could just hear her say everything was okay- that she was okay, then he'd believe her.

He'd believe _only_ her.

* * *

**Note/ Fun Facts:  
**I originally planned to write Sephiroth and Olivia's visit to Maya in this chapter (since we haven't heard a peep out of Maya since that stupid encounter with Hugh the Scumbag), but then I realised that the Genesis scene I planned for the next chapter would be all disjointed. So... I guess I just gave you a sneak-peek into what to expect for next chapter: interactions between Sephiroth, Genesis, Maya, Olivia and a few others :) Thanks everyone for reading and I'll hopefully be able to provide you an update very soon.

**Be aware that future updates might be shorter in length (so, around 3000-3500 words rather than the usual 4200-4600).**


	16. Chapter 16

**A.N: **_**Hey everyone! So, I'm officially typing these chapters as I ride to and from university via train/bus! There's currently a really high-pitched baby crying and I have a slight headache from motion sickness (I swear, I am nearly as bad as poor Yuffie and Cloud) AND the cute, sweet HIGHPITCHED baby! :P So my apologies in advance! **_

_**Also, it's only been the first week of university and I'm already SWAMPED with stuff to do! Gotta love that student life :D**_

_**I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :D WE FINALLY HEAR FROM MAYA!**_

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen-**

An hour or two after the sun had set, Olivia had finally managed to wrench the workaholic Silver General out of his office, through the rather desolate corridors of the ShinRa Building and into her modest, two-door car waiting for them in the private company carpark. The blond receptionist couldn't help but giggle as she cast a side-long glance at the rather cramped looking General sitting beside her. He looked _too adorable_ all folded into a tiny, pink hatch-back.

Olivia snorted as she started the ignition. The funniest thing about the whole bizarre scene was the mere fact that Sephiroth's facial expression looked absolutely content as he sat in the cramped passenger seat. The man really didn't have any idea just how amusing she found his rather frank mannerisms. Tilting her head to the side in consideration, Olivia hummed as she turned approached the ID Verification Station.

"Seph, could you go through my purse and get my ID card for me? Olivia requested confidently as she watched her mechanical window slide down. Sephiroth frowned at his receptionist's lack of foresight, but complied with her request. Unzipping the tasteful black and white purse, he rifled through the card-holder where he had expected to find the young receptionist's ID. However, to his surprise, he found something quite surprising hidden within the card-holder.

Sephiroth raised his eyebrows incredulously as he pulled out two individually packed _condoms_ from the woman's purse. At that moment, Olivia turned towards Sephiroth with questioning eyes, wondering what was taking him so long. As her hazel eyes landed on the condoms in Sephiroth's hands, they widened in embarrassment. Not able to think coherently due to her immense embarrassment, Olivia reached over and snatched the offending items out of the Silver General's slack grip. Meeting his shocked green eyes with her own fiery stare, Olivia groaned.

"_Those_ were not my ID card." Olivia spoke quietly. Sephiroth nodded, affirming this statement.

"I _know_ that. Where, pray tell, do you store your ID card, if it is not allotted in the appropriate designated compartment of your purse?" Sephiroth inquired testily as he moved to hand the petite blond her purse. With a heated glare, Olivia snatched her purse from him and opened up the coin compartment, retrieving the ID card from amongst her singular gil coins.

"Gosh Seph, _everyone_ knows that you don't actually shove frequently used cards into the card holder. Do you know how much of a bitch it is to take the cards out from those impossible pockets?" Olivia both explained and whined as she finally reached out of the car and scanned her card. With a screech, the car park's security door wheeled upwards, allowing her pink hatchback through.

Sephiroth frowned, feeling slightly offended at Olivia's words. How was _he_ of all people supposed to know something as… ordinarily informal as that? The Silver General huffed as he sagged against the passenger seat, feeling very much like a kicked puppy. However, just before he started wallowing in his pity for his lack of social knowledge, Sephiroth remembered the condoms.

Immediately correcting his straight posture, Sephiroth kept his eyes on the road as he spoke to the quietly driving woman.

"I don't understand," he began uncertainly as he cast Olivia a side-long glance. Olivia in turn narrowed her eyes, signalling that she was listening to him.

"What don't you understand Sephiroth?" she coaxed.

"If it is difficult for you to take _cards_ out of the card holders, then wouldn't your access to _birth protection_ also be compromised?" Sephiroth asked calmly. Olivia remained silent for a few moments before bursting out laughing- her previous annoyance at Sephiroth's 'snooping' forgotten.

"Oh my _goddess_! Seph, it's called _birth __control_, sweetie! And it's not like I need to use those every day- not at this stage anyway," Olivia finished off shyly. Sephiroth nodded, looking as calm and collected as ever.

"Duly noted." Sephiroth stated before furrowing his eyebrows whilst he thought of Olivia's second statement. "What do you mean… _not at this stage_? Are you courting someone?" Sephiroth tried to keep his tone even, but for some reason unknown to him, he felt absolutely put-out as the question left his mouth. It was almost like he was afraid to know the answer.

Olivia giggled as she found a parking spot close to the Sinclairs' apartment building. Although walking would have taken about the same time as driving and finding a parking spot, Olivia didn't want to risk turning up to the ShinRa carpark late in the evening, only to find that the security servers were offline and fully armed, leaving her car to ferment in the dark, stale-smelling parking lot whilst she'd have to take public transport back home.

The last time that had happened… let's just say it wasn't a pleasant trip home.

Shaking the irrelevant and random thoughts out of her head, Olivia turned off the ignition after parking and unbuckled her seatbelt. Leaning over the automatic gear stick (she really couldn't be bothered with learning to drive a manual car), she caught Sephiroth off-guard with a sweet peck to his cheek. Pulling away, she winked and proceeded to exit her car. Before she shut her door, she smiled fondly at the fumbling Silver General on the other side of the pink vehicle.

"I don't know- you'll have a think about it and let me know, won't you?"

And with that vague statement, Olivia shut her door, leaving a flustered and confused Sephiroth to finally free himself from his seatbelt and shut his door before jogging after his sassy, confident and kind-hearted receptionist.

* * *

The insides of Maya Sinclair's cheeks were sore from her perpetual mistreatment of the tender pink oral tissue. However, she couldn't help but bite down hard on the raw flesh as she nervously stared her front door down.

Letting her gaze drop to her PHS momentarily, she took in a shaky breath as she re-read Reno's text message from earlier that day. He'd clearly stated that he'd be arriving home late that evening after drinking with his new partner. Maya took a deep breath as she shifted her gaze towards the clock mounted on the wall opposite her.

_7:52 pm_.

Unless Reno had quickly decided Rude was not a suitable _drinking buddy_, Maya really had no clue as to who waited on the other side of her front door.

Drawing her knees to her chest, Maya attempted to drown herself in her pile of warm blankets as she melded herself into the familiar, comforting warmth of her favourite green sofa. She wasn't ready to see or speak to anyone as of yet. Not after everything had just so recently gone _terribly_ wrong.

Maya screwed her haunted eyes shut as she willed the thoughts of Hugh out of her mind. He was her past. That was all in the past. She was okay now- she had a home, her brother was safe and she even had influential friends.

Maya sobbed quietly as she thought of her friends. What would they think of her if word got out about her past as a Honey Bee? If they came to know just how defiled she was under her nervous, conservative visage… they'd probably avoid her at all costs.

They'd shun her.

What business did ShinRa's heroes and respectable employees have with a lowly slum whore anyways?

The distraught young woman brought her pyjama-sleeve covered knuckles to her mouth, biting down painfully in a vain attempt to muffle her chest wracking sobs. It hurt too much to think about the beautiful people who had so willingly made a space for her in their lives. It hurt too much to think of the impending looks of disgust she'd see the moment her past would be revealed to them.

They'd finally know… she was worth nothing.

Everyone would leave her… she'd be all alone all over again. Even Reno would distance himself from her- she could already tell that Tseng was doing all he could to keep her baby brother away from her at work. Maya whimpered as she thought of Tseng and the Turks.

The Department of Administrative Research… with Tseng's high security clearance rank, he'd obviously know _everything_ about her unsavoury past. There would be nothing stopping him from spilling all her secrets and ruining her life at work if she even thought about complaining to anyone about the very little time she got to see her younger brother.

Finding that her face was saturated with warm trails of tears, Maya wrestled with her blankets, her limbs fighting for freedom as she stretched towards the tissue box nearby for something to wipe her face with. However, before she could retract her body back onto her favoured sofa, she'd lost her centre of gravity and loudly stumbled onto the rug on her apartment floor. Sniffling in both pain and misery, Maya lay sprawled on the floor, dabbing at her face as a familiar smooth male baritone resounded through her front door.

"Maya, what's wrong?" the panicked voice of Sephiroth inquired sharply. Gasping in recognition, Maya clamped her hands over her pouty, pink lips. Sephiroth stood outside her door _without invitation_. The young psychologist felt a pang of guilt in her chest as she dragged herself to sit in an upright position. It wasn't like Sephiroth to arrive at her apartment unannounced. He must have been really concerned about her absence if he had put aside all of his work just to come and see her. Especially on the eve of a significant war…

"Gosh Maya, open this door before I break the damn thing down myself!" Olivia's hysterical voice travelled through the door, along with a few loud bangs on the door itself. With a yelp of irrational panic, Maya jumped up from her spot on the floor and rushed over the front door. Quickly unclasping the lock, she wrenched the door open in time to see Sephiroth's exasperated face as he held Olivia away from the door by her waist while she struggled to kick at it with her heel-clad feet. Noticing that the door was finally open, Sephiroth dropped Olivia onto the floor gently and stepped up to Maya. Making brief eye-contact with her in greeting, the Silver General proceeded to make his way to his designated black and white themed sofa. Taking in a deep breath, Maya turned to her dishevelled friend, but found that she couldn't even muster up a smile for her. Seeing this, Olivia's facial features softened into a concerned expression from her previous annoyance. Stepping forward, the small blond enveloped her teary friend in a warm hug.

"Oh, sweetie… what are we going to do with you?" she cooed as she squeezed the soft young woman in her grasp. Maya couldn't help but sob silently into the petite blonde's shoulder as the reality of the situation dawned upon her.

Olivia and Sephiroth were in her home. They would want answers as to why she had been away from work for so long. Maya was terrible at lying since she'd moved from the slums. She had no choice but to tell her dark secrets before they found out on their own.

Maya lifted her head from Olivia's now damp shoulder and stepped away from the petite fashionista's embrace. Spying Sephiroth's tense posture attempting to stay seated on his sofa, Maya couldn't help but let out a watery laugh as she forced herself to lead the concerned receptionist to a free sofa before she reclaimed her own seat.

After a moment of apprehensive silence, Sephiroth surprisingly broke the silence.

"It pains me… to infer from these circumstances that you have been in emotional turmoil for nearly one working week," he spoke softly. Olivia nodded along in agreement as the socially-awkward General spoke his mind. "I see that your warm eyes have shed many tears over the past few days. I'd like to inquire about the events that have caused you to fall so deep into your despair that you'd fear approaching one of us to help you through this situation- whatever it may be," the Silver General spoke, emotion straining his usually controlled voice. Maya averted her gaze at his words. Her ears rung with the continual sounds of Sephiroth's almost _pleading_ tone. Seeing that Maya wasn't about to speak any time soon, Sephiroth let out a tired sigh. "I thought we were your friends." He stated simply.

Maya almost cringed as she realised what Sephiroth had really meant to say to her.

'_I thought __I was your best friend_.'

Maya took in a deep, shuddering breath as her eyes landed on a solemnly nodding Olivia.

"I'm your _best friend for life_ woman. That means you've got to dish all the dirt on yourself. I'll do likewise if that makes you feel better! But seriously, we're here to listen and offer advice no matter what's going on in your life that's making you hide away in your little hidey hole. I can tell you, with completely confidence, that I will _always love you all the same- no matter what it is your hiding from the world_. Just… let us in." Olivia finished, her voice becoming soft and serious as she reached over to grab Maya's soft hand. Frowning at the feel of her friend's hand, Olivia squeezed it slightly in her grip.

Maya avoided making eye-contact as she knew what question was coming. Instead, she occupied herself with looking at the ironically innocent looking pink chibi moogles on her yellow flannel pyjamas.

"Maya Sinclair… _when_ was the last time you had a decent meal?" Olivia demanded, keeping an almost painful grip on the young psychologist's hand. Sephiroth frowned as he sat forward in his sofa, giving his best friend a quick look-over.

"You have not had any sustenance for days, judging by the significant fat loss around your face." Sephiroth observed out loud. Maya found herself blushing as she tried to find an excuse for her lack of appetite.

It had been so hard… to even think about food in the past few days. Reverting back to her slum-girl mentality, Maya's psyche also reverted back to blocking out hunger signals from her stomach to her brain. It was true… she hadn't thought she was deserving enough for a decent meal.

Just before she could spew out a half-baked lie about her lack of appetite, Olivia's warm hand left her own feeling profoundly chilly. Lifting her gaze, Maya's mouth dropped open slightly as Olivia made a bee-line towards her kitchen. Her hospitable instincts _finally_ kicking into action, Maya moved to stand up in protest of Olivia's actions.

However, before she could take a step towards her kitchen, Sephiroth's bare hand encased her wrist- stopping her from moving. His strong grip brought on flashes of images from back when she worked in the slums to pay for living and study cost for both herself and Reno. Turning her body sharply towards Sephiroth, she gasped as she saw the face of Hugh- the man of her recurring nightmares. Heart racing, Maya steeled herself- rational thinking thrown right out of her figurative window and she forcefully wrenched her wrist out of his grip.

"Don't fuckin' touch me, you sleaze bag!" Maya yelled, jumping away from the image of Hugh before her. Her heart beat was impossibly fast as she glared daggers as the fading form of Hugh.

The man of her nightmares morphed into a rather hurt looking Silver General- his arm still outstretched and his mouth agape in shock as he stared at her. Olivia chose that moment to rush into the living room- a tray filled with a simple selection of cheddar cheese pieces and salt crackers. Confusion clouded the preppy receptionist's expression as she looked between Sephiroth and Maya.

"Um, this was the only decent stuff I could find in the pantry…" Olivia began to speak, but then shook her head as she placed the tray down onto the coffee table before standing between the seated Sephiroth and the quivering Maya. "I heard yelling… did I miss something?" she inquired, unsure of herself as she reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Sephiroth cleared his throat, being the first to break the silence yet again as Maya made no move to explain her words and actions.

"I believe my presence is not required," Sephiroth stated, his voice void of any tell-tale emotion. Maya shook her head silently as the weight of her words settled on her.

"No… Seph… I didn't mean to—" Maya cut herself off as Sephiroth promptly moved towards her front door, fully intending to leave before he said something he'd regret. Shaking her head, she shot Olivia a pleading look. Olivia stared between the two best friends, the situation completely lost on her. Still, the blond woman moved forward throwing an apologetic look at Maya.

"I'll fix this. Just sit down, eat the cheese and crackers and don't stress." With that said, Olivia broke into a fast jog, quickly catching up to a stationary Sephiroth. He stood still in the middle of the public hallway, his fists clenched at his sides and his head tilted up so that his closed eyes faced the ceiling. Olivia approached cautiously, her hand gently grasping the General's taut bicep.

Before she could ask him what happened, the Silver General let out a shaky sigh.

"I just wanted to help. I ended up messing that up too." He spoke, his voice uncharacteristically soft with the tone of defeat. Olivia shook her head, although Sephiroth couldn't see her as she stood directly behind him. Leaning her head softly on his mid-upper back, Olivia frowned.

"You didn't mess anything up, Seph. She's just going through a tough time. You did great in there," she reassured him, reaching up with her free hand to gently massage his stiff shoulder. Sephiroth's shoulders shuddered as he took another breath. Olivia couldn't help but tear up at Sephiroth's obvious turmoil. The man probably never felt as useless as he did now.

"Dr. Maya Sinclair has helped me so much with my social skills- I almost felt _normal_. However, confronted with someone who needs emotional support, I can do nothing but intimidate and provoke like the SOLDIER I was trained to be. No wonder… I'm just a poster boy for the ShinRa Military," Sephiroth turned around slowly, raising his hands to grasp gently at Olivia's shoulders. Olivia's tears slipped down as she saw the tell-tale trails of wetness leading from Sephiroth's eyes down to his sharp jawline. Moving to cup his cheek, she shook her head gently, offering him a watery smile.

"Seph… sweetie, you're so much more than that. You mean so much more than that- I promise you." Olivia implored, wiping a trail of tears with one thumb. Sephiroth closed his eyes, his emotional pain evident on his face as more tears spilled out of his eyelids.

"I'm no hero. I can't even help my best friend. How can I let myself be called a hero knowing that I am useless to those who matter the most to me?" Sephiroth asked, his tone desperate as he shuddered before Olivia. The petite blonde shook her head at his words.

"Don't say that. Don't _ever_ say that. The moment you give up on yourself is the moment you give up on all that is fair and just in this world. Sephiroth- you're known as a hero not because you _save_ people from themselves. You're known as a hero because you _inspire_ us all to be the best that we can be. Sure, heroes should have dreams, pride and honour- but they should also show humility and kindness beyond their own capabilities. Sephiroth, you coming here in the face of war shows just how much you care about Maya- it shows that you're willing to go out of your way to shower upon her the infinite amounts of kindness she is going to need to get through whatever it is that's got her so messed up in the first place. What I see in front of me is a man who gives all of the goodness his heart can afford to give with no reservations… what I see in you is a hero who will rise and conquer the hearts of all with his genuine acts of kindness and heartfelt displays of mercy. And in that regard, you're not useless. So don't _ever_ say that. Please…" Olivia pleaded, her eyes never once leaving the wide, feline gaze of her Silver General.

"I… don't know what to say," Sephiroth began, uncertainly as he gaped at the small, passionate woman in front of him. "You… really admire me unconditionally, don't you?" he asked, almost bashfully. Olivia grinned slightly as she shook her head at the tall man before her.

"You have no idea, Sephy…" she trailed off, moving to wipe his tears off his face before leading him back to Maya's apartment. Stepping in hesitantly, the emotionally exhausted General flopped down onto his sofa, casting a seemingly zoned out Maya a hesitant glance.

Seeing this from her peripheral vision, Maya looked up at Sephiroth and couldn't help but feel like an absolute monster as she took his the sight of his blood shot eyes. Hearing Olivia shut the door behind her, Maya averted her gaze back to the crackers in front of her in shame.

"Maya, you didn't even finish _three_ of those crackers!" Olivia exclaimed as she moved to sit on the edge of the brunette's sofa. However, the moment she had seated herself onto the surface, an unknown guest knocked on the door rather insistently. Frowning, Olivia moved to stand up but Sephiroth beat her to it.

"I'll go see who it is." Sephiroth indicated his intentions before moving towards the door. Nodding, Olivia turned back to Maya's down-cast presence.

"Maya, talk to me sweetie," Olivia implored. Maya looked up at Olivia, her eyes dry but tired. With a deep sigh of resignation, Maya hauled herself off her green sofa.

"Can we go to my room?" Maya asked, almost as if she'd just been scolded by her mother. The blond receptionist nodded immediately, gesturing towards Maya's bedroom enthusiastically.

"Sure thing! Lead the way," Olivia encouraged.

Nodding hesitantly, Maya gulped before turning her back on Olivia and walking towards the private confines of her room.

* * *

Sephiroth took a deep breath before addressing the unknown people on the other side of the door.

"Who's there?" the Silver General almost demanded. A loud bang resounded on the door as his answer. Frowning, Sephiroth got into a battle-ready stance before wrenching the door open. To his surprise, he found before him a concerned looking Angeal Hewley, a bouncing Zachary Fair and the livid seemingly self-nominated leader of the party- Commander Genesis Rhapsodos. Sneering at the Silver General, Genesis shoved Sephiroth aside as he practically forced himself into the Sinclair residence.

Angeal glared at the back of his older friend's head at his rude behaviour before offering a concerned smile to Sephiroth.

"You look exhausted," Angeal commented. Sephiroth ran a tired hand through his silver bangs, dishevelling them. Not bringing himself to care about his appearance, Sephiroth left his hair messy as it was and gestured at the bouncing Second-Class SOLDIER to come inside. Grinning broadly, Zack wasted no time in bounding into the apartment and proceeding to take in all of the interiors of the apartment. To Sephiroth's great annoyance, the puppy planted his rear end into _his_ designated black and white sofa. Ignoring this for the time being, he turned back to Angeal and nodded as he closed the front door.

"I believe I may have had an emotional episode just minutes prior to your arrival. That may be what gives you the impression that I am exhausted." Sephiroth raised his hand up dismissively as Angeal's facial features immediately took on a concerned, paternal protective expression. "And I _did_ get through quite a lot of paperwork by sacrificing my breaks and training time- don't worry."

Angeal frowned but nodded in understanding.

"I see. I'll let you speak about why you're upset when you're ready, I guess…" Angeal trailed off, his eyebrows raised sceptically at his younger friend. Seeing that Sephiroth looked uncomfortable under his gaze, Angeal smartly changed the topic of their conversation- trying vainly to ignore Genesis' rather loud and rude comments about the Sinclairs' interior decorating. "You know, just before I clocked out, I ran into Zack who _desperately_ wanted to see Maya." Angeal confided, casting a sidelong glance at his mentee who at that very moment was trying to shove as many cheese pieces into his mouth as possible. Sephiroth rolled his eyes at the sight and turned away from the strange young man, raising his eyebrows in question at Angeal.

"You went to reception and asked for her address?" he inquired softly. Angeal's lips hinted at a troubled smile as he nodded in confirmation.

"Yes… and no. That was my initial intention- but then guess who I found at the reception desk, threatening to roast the receptionist with his famous Firaga?"

Sephiroth shook his head, the corners of his lips creasing further down into a frown as the image of Genesis throwing a temper tantrum at the front lobby of the ShinRa Building entered his mind. It seemed like the Commander of his army needed to get help for his anger management issues- and fast. Otherwise they could risk having the whole platoon decimated during the war simply because things were not going Genesis' way.

"Genesis," Sephiroth muttered. The Crimson Commander turned towards Sephiroth and glared at him.

"What?" he barked back distastefully. Sephiroth rotated his body towards Genesis, his own temper flaring slightly at the man's unreasonable tone.

"Is there something or someone in the immediate vicinity troubling you?" Sephiroth asked, his voice deceptively calm. Genesis chuckled darkly as he let his auburn bangs fall over his eyes.

"Now that you mention it, there are _a lot of things_ that are troubling me right now. However the most troubling presence in this vicinity at this moment of time in _yours_." Genesis spat hatefully.

Angeal chose this moment to step between his two foul tempered friends.

"Hey, that's enough! We're here to see Maya- behave yourselves." Angeal reprimanded, his tone sharp and his gaze blazing with authority. Sephiroth made eye contact with Angeal first, letting out a sigh as he backed down and moved to lean on a nearby wall as his favourite sofa was currently occupied by a wide-eyed Zack Fair.

Genesis scoffed and turned away from his childhood friend, moving to take his red duster off before draping it over the back of a nearby chair. Stretching his pale, yet well-developed arms, the Crimson Commander spoke quietly.

"You said she'd be here… did she know I was coming? Did I scare her into hiding?" Genesis asked, his voice extremely soft. Hearing Genesis' clearly troubled voice, Sephiroth thought about what Olivia had said to him just moments before out in the public hallways. Reigning his temper in, he addressed Genesis.

"I assure you that _no one_ knew of your impending visit. As for scaring Maya away…" Sephiroth's eyes narrowed as he jumped to a perfectly reasonable conclusion for Maya's long absence from work. Pulling away from the wall, Sephiroth grabbed Genesis by the collar in a matter of three long strides, his temper shooting up to epic proportions as he stared into the shocked-yet livid- eyes of Genesis Rhapsodos.

"Let go of me," Genesis ground out of his clenched teeth, staring up at the taller man as he took deep breaths. The Silver General tightened his grip, shaking Genesis roughly as he thought about Maya and her violent panic attack just prior to the three SOLDIERs' late arrival.

"You did this to her- didn't you? You scared that kind-hearted woman senseless with your lack of self-control and twisted sense of humour," Sephiroth intoned darkly, continuing to shake Genesis-ignoring Angeal's strong grip trying to pull the two warring friends apart. In his peripheral vision, he saw Zack's figure run towards two smaller figures, standing in front of them with his arms spread wide on either side in protection.

Smart move. Things would get _really_ ugly when Genesis finally snapped out of his shock and started fighting back against his grip. In the recesses of his mind, Sephiroth genuinely hoped the Sinclairs had home content insurance.

"_My friend, the fates are cruel_—" Genesis recited calmly before pulling back abruptly and letting his clenched fist make a direct trajectory towards Sephiroth's livid face.

However, before his fist could make its impact, he pulled back- hearing the sound of _her_ panicked exclamation of his name above all the noisy commotion happening around him.

"Genesis, please!" Maya Sinclair's voice made him wince slightly at its high-pitched hysteria. Whipping his head towards the source of her voice, he blocked out all other visual stimuli as the mismatched colour scheme around him blurred together and emphasised Maya's physical presence. Ignoring Angeal's insistent tugging on the back of his black SOLDIER turtleneck, he staggered backwards from Sephiroth- who had a concerned looking Olivia fussing over him in a heartbeat.

"Maya… how are you?" the Crimson Commander asked dumbly, his usually articulate diction escaping him for that moment. Taking in her yellow and pink moogle-themed pyjamas coupled with her extremely _tired_ and _upset_ presence- Genesis knew then and there that he'd truly fallen in love with the nervous wreck that was their company psychologist.

Maya hesitated, not able to tear her eyes away from the strangely vulnerable looking man. The dark circles under his brilliant teal eyes made him look even more intimidating than usual but still… she felt a strange calmness overtake her body- her heartbeat slowing down and her shoulders relaxing as she bravely took a step towards the relieved looking man in her sights.

It was like there was no one else in the room with them.

For the first time in nearly a week, Maya found her heart soaring with happiness.

Genesis came to her.

Genesis Rhapsodos came _for_ _her._

* * *

**Note/ Fun facts:  
**This is actually PART ONE of the HUGE confrontation chapter that I am currently still writing so... next week, you guys get to see where this all goes! :D OOOH THE SUSPENSE! ;) Thanks all for reading/favouriting/ following/ reviewing! I'll try to respond to PMs tonight as soon as I get a few more course notes complete HAHAHA! *hearts and hugs*


	17. Chapter 17

**A.N: _*awkwardly enters* Hi guys... long time, no see! I've been so bogged down with Third Year Psych and Crim at uni, I haven't had the opportunity to update :( I've had around 4000 words of this chapter stewing around for a whole month, and I kept changing bits and pieces and it just didn't turn out at awesome as I wanted it to be... I swear, you can sense the badly written material towards the end :/ Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy and thanks to the new readers/followers/favouriters and all my lovely, loyal readers as well! _**

**_For now, I won't be able to send replies to reviews and I am sorry for that. But come the winter break in two months, I'll be replying and updating like crazy. So for all of you who waited ages for this update, I made it extra long with some... exciting parts towards the end for all you Olivaroth/Gaya shippers *hearts*_**

**_So, um, warnings: IMPLIED ADULT RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES TOWARDS THE END OF THE CHAPTER! Read at your own discretion. :)_**

**_Enjoy the long over-due chapter!_**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen-**

Although Maya knew in her mind that there were four other physical presences in the room with her and Genesis, she still couldn't help but feel this was a special meeting between herself and the Crimson Commander.

It was just _them._

Together again.

"I'm okay now," Maya spoke shyly, her voice steady as her warm gaze landed on Genesis' tired eyes. Genesis nodded, not knowing what else to say. She was there before him and there was obviously something _majorly wrong_ but she still managed to address him calmly. Genesis tilted his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest as he thought of what to say to Maya next.

"Your furniture is ghastly," Genesis stated this like it was a well-known fact. At this, Maya couldn't help but break out into a small grin as she fiddled with the cuffs of her pyjamas. Her loose, dark locks danced on either side of her sharper facial features as she shook her head at him.

"My apologies Commander Rhapsodos," Maya replied back, content to just forget about her past for a few blissful moments of normality with the man who seemed to find her no matter where she hid herself- both physically and figuratively.

"I can help you redecorate if you'd like," Genesis' offer left no room for argument, his eyes already roaming over the furniture surrounding him- eyebrows ruffling in distaste as his teal eyes landed on Maya's green sofa. "I highly recommend throwing that horrible excuse of a sofa out right this very moment- it's an eye-sore!" Genesis exclaimed dramatically as he pointed towards the offending sofa. Maya frowned at Genesis as she looked between the sofa and the Commander.

Before she could say anything, Sephiroth- who had finally calmed down- courtesy of Olivia- spoke up calmly.

"That's her favourite sofa." He deadpanned, raising his eyebrows at Genesis- just daring him to challenge him further. Genesis' expression fell flat as he stared at both Maya and the sofa.

"Hm, that actually makes sense…" he muttered to himself before waving his arm in the air dramatically. "Not to worry! I can work around it- I'm not known to be the most stylish man in Midgar for no reason!" Genesis declared loudly. Olivia snorted at this statement as she rubbed Sephiroth's shoulder from her seat next to him. Sephiroth had taken advantage of Zack's evacuation of his seat earlier during his own irrational emotional outburst against Genesis and taken his favourite spot back. Genesis narrowed his eyes at the small blond as she giggled.

"You? The most stylish man in Midgar? I'm sorry Gen but the most stylish man in Midgar is—"

"Me, of course!" Zack jumped up and down from his standing position next to a now amused Angeal Hewley. Olivia shook her head at the hyper-active young man before squeezing Sephiroth's shoulder and whispering so that only Sephiroth could hear her.

"—Sephiroth. Only a man with a keen sense of style could pull off the bare-chested leather-on-leather look. So sexy…" she trailed off, winking at the blank faced Silver General. Sephiroth nodded at her flirtation.

"I must admit," Sephiroth spoke in a low, secretive tone- leaning towards the petite blond, "I wasn't trying to make a fashion statement with this coat… but since you approve, I'll show my chest with pride." Sephiroth spoke seriously. Olivia couldn't help but giggle at his strange way of accepting compliments. Snuggling into the muscular SOLDIER's side, Olivia observed the people around her with a small smile on her face.

Her hazel eyes landed on Maya's deep brown orbs, silently prompting her to get back to the matter at hand. As good as it was to see Maya in happier spirits, Olivia had a feeling that whatever Maya was about to reveal to her in the bedroom about her time in the slums would definitely prove to dampen the newly restored good mood in the room. Still, it had to be done.

Maya frowned, averting her gaze from Olivia momentarily before loudly clearing her throat- swiftly cutting off Zack and Genesis' animated conversation about who had the better and more practical fashion sense for being in SOLDIER.

"Everyone… I'm glad you're all here," Maya began- her voice slightly wavering as she tried vainly to keep strong in front of her friends. Angeal stepped towards Maya and clasped her pyjama clad shoulder in a reassuring grip.

"We're glad to be here—" Angeal began, but was prematurely cut off by Zack's enthusiastic interruption.

"We all missed you a lot!" Zack exclaimed before quietening down at Angeal's reprimanding look. "I think I drove everyone crazy asking about you every day…" Zack trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed as the weight of his words finally hit him. Bashfully scratching the back of his head, Zack offered Maya a sweet smile. "Work's just not the same without you… I miss you." Zack finished lamely, his tan cheeks a light pink as he averted his gaze. Maya found herself tearing up out of guilt for leaving her most dedicated patient to fend for himself for nearly a whole week.

She didn't even answer his texts or calls.

"I'm sorry. I'm _so_ sorry… it's just so hard to tell you without i-i-imagining just how bad this conversation could g-go." Maya stuttered nervously as she wrung her hands in front of her. Seeing this, Genesis moved to comfort the woman he so clearly adored- only to be stopped by a reprimanding hand on his shoulder. Glancing down at Angeal's hand, Genesis raised his eyebrows in question. Angeal merely shook his head and nodded at Maya before retracting his hand. Taking his best friend's hint, Genesis stayed put beside him and folded his arms- ready to listen to whatever it was Maya had to say to them all.

"It's okay, we're not going anywhere sweetie." Olivia reassured from her seat beside Sephiroth. Sephiroth nodded in confirmation, afraid to address Maya directly in case she lashed out at him again. Maya mustered up the strength to smile weakly at the Silver General she considered her best work mate.

"I appreciate you all coming here to check on me… and I apologise for my absence. I just had some issues I had to work through by myself and I needed time," Maya began- already sweating on her brow because of her nerves. "I'm not proud of my past… I try to block it out of my mind as much as I can but that night my past came back to haunt me and I just… my mind just… couldn't handle the shock of seeing _that man_," Maya spoke disjointedly, her eyes widening in panic as she thought of Hugh.

Genesis furrowed his eyebrows, stepping forward and catching everyone's attention.

"This happened… _that_ evening- didn't it?" Genesis queried warily as he glanced at Sephiroth who was glaring right at him. Shoulders deflating in defeat, Genesis resigned himself to accepting every accusing work Sephiroth threw at him moments before. "So it really was me… I _did_ hurt you," Genesis syllogised to himself, falling deep into his own despair. "I _left _you all alone out there where _anyone_ could have done _anything _to you…" Genesis' eyes widened as the troubling words left his lips. Alarmed, Genesis swiftly walked over to Maya and placed his warm palms on the brunette's pyjama-clad shoulders. "Good grief woman, could you not have just followed me back to headquarters or something!" Genesis demanded, his eyes impossibly wide. Maya couldn't bring herself to look away from the beautiful glowing eyes in front of her.

"Genesis… p-p-please calm down. I assure you, the events that t-took place that night after your leave were all entirely because of my lack of foresight," Maya shakily comforted, blinking up at Genesis' emotive eyes. The SOLDIER in front of her shook his head, his jaw tight from the effort he was putting in to keep from screaming in frustration. Seeing this, Maya's lips turned upwards in a genuine, comforting smile. "I was walking around for a while after you left for work. It was a nice night out and I didn't want to go back to work or back home so I wandered for a while and I kind of found myself in the Sector Seven slums…" Maya trailed off, averting her gaze as the image of Hugh filled her mind once again. Screwing her eyes shut, Maya bowed her head down.

Hands still on Maya's shoulders, Genesis frowned and squeezed the shaking woman's shoulders, hoping to show his support through his actions. From his peripheral vision he detected a flash of silver before Sephiroth's voice resounded in his ears.

"You _left _her in Loveless Avenue all alone?" the Silver General's harsh question cut through the amiable atmosphere that had currently preceded the serious discussion. Growing tense, Genesis cursed silently before opening his mouth to retort scathingly.

He really _hated_ it when Sephiroth acted all high and mighty around him. The man always managed to poke Genesis where it really hurt- the most infuriating thing about this was that the Silver General seemed to hold no remorse for Genesis when he clearly acted to upset the easily set-off man.

Before Genesis would reply, however, Maya shook her head at him. Turning to address Sephiroth directly for the first time since she lashed out at him, she smiled at the livid General who was currently held back from moving towards Genesis by an exasperated Olivia.

"Seph, I'm not an invalid- I can hang out in Loveless Avenue by myself if I wish to," Maya asserted, her tone changing into the professional 'psychologist' tone Genesis had often heard during his time sharing an office with her. Smiling fondly at the memory, Genesis took a deep breath and shot one last glare at his infuriating 'frenemy' before pulling out a dinner chair from the wooden dining table and collapsing onto it.

Just as everyone settled into a mutual silence, the front door was pushed open from the outside, revealing a dishevelled Renaldo Sinclair. Aquamarine eyes widening in surprise, Reno's gaze took in the crowded living/dining room and frowned in confusion as his gaze stopped on the Crimson Commander.

"Maya, what's goin' on?" he slurred, whipping off his uniform jacket and flinging it onto the back of Maya's seat. Maya sighed- both in relief and slight annoyance as she made her way over to her baby brother. Grabbing the discarded jacket, Maya plopped down onto her sofa and proceeded to neatly fold her brother's jacket before placing it onto her lap. Without asking, Reno squeezed himself next to his older sister, bringing an arm around her shoulders and laying his head on her shoulder with a deep sigh. "I missed you, sis." Reno revealed, his breath wreaking of alcohol. Maya wrinkled her nose in distaste. However, she couldn't find it within herself to push her little brother away. So instead, she shuffled slightly so that her face wasn't so close to Reno's.

"I missed you too," Maya replied softly before looking up at all of her uncomfortable looking guests. Speaking louder, she addressed them all. "I missed _all_ of you." She admitted. Reno hummed in understanding.

"Ah, so that's why everyone's here! I heard that you didn't go to work all week. You know that's violating your contract with ShinRa, yeah?" Reno reminded Maya. Frowning, Maya nodded.

"I messed up…" Maya trailed off. With a loud groan, Reno lifted his head off Maya's shoulder and shot her an annoyed look- immediately sobering up.

"_Maya_, do I have to go and do damage control for you _again_?" Reno spoke, his tone dark as he stood from his seat beside Maya. The elder Sinclair let her chin drop to her chest in shame as Reno openly scolded her in front of everyone. She knew she'd messed up and she was sorry- but where was _he_ when she needed him? Maya's selfish side was at conflict with her naturally selfless personality. On one hand, she wanted to lash out at the young Turk, blaming her lack of compliance to her binding contract on him and his absence when she required his support the most. On the other hand, Maya's rational side fought hard to keep her mouth shut and just listen to her brother's uncharacteristically harsh words.

He'd only ever spoke in a reprimanding manner to her once- and that was when he'd found out about her _occupation_ just before she'd enrolled him in the ShinRa Cadet program he'd dreamed of joining.

"What do you mean by 'damage control'?" Sephiroth inquired, his annoyed gaze now attempting to burn holes into the drunk teen. Reno rolled his eyes at the General and turned back to Maya.

Zack frowned, his ever-present smile finally absent as he watched the tense exchange unfold before his eyes.

"Yeah man… I don't see what the big deal is about taking a few days off work. I'm sure Human Resources will understand—" Zack's reassuring voice was cut off by a dry chuckle from the artificial red-head. Turning on the young Second Class, Reno smirked darkly.

"You have no idea," Reno made eye-contact with each and every one of the people residing in his living room. Glaring down at his unresponsive sister, Reno aimed a harsh kick at Maya's sock-clad feet. Startled, Maya yelped in pain as she withdrew her feet. Too shocked with Reno's violent treatment of his beloved sister, no one dared to move. It was all very surreal. Maya let out a choked sob as Reno cursed loudly again. "You have no idea how we've been living since we started living above this damn metal pizza," Reno spat distastefully.

Genesis raised his eyebrows at this admission, curious.

"Renaldo Sinclair, you're not making any sense—"

"Shut up princess, I'm trying to talk to my sister!" Reno snapped at Genesis, earning a terrific glare from the Crimson Commander. Deciding to humour him, Genesis kept quiet- although he could feel his palm start to heat up as his temper flared.

"Dude, you're had too much to drink. Just sleep it off man- I'll protect Maya from the higher-ups!" Zack implored. Maya smiled sadly at the optimistic puppy she had grown fond of during her time at ShinRa.

Reno turned on a narrow-eyed Zack Fair, who seemed ready to jump into action if the red-head moved so much as a muscle with violent intentions towards the elder Sinclair.

"I don't know if it's because you're in SOLDIER or because you're just too damn optimistic about life but the ShinRa Company ain't exactly known for being forgiving to those who violate their contracts!" Reno spoke loudly and with purpose, waving his arms over his head in a bid to gain everyone's full attention. Maya turned her gaze up and spoke in a low, emotionless voice- realising that Reno was about to disclose the _true_ nature of both her and Reno's upbringing in the Sector 7 slums.

"I gave up _a lot_ to raise the both of us out of the slums. At least afford me the opportunity to tell them myself," Maya sighed into her lap as her head dropped- energy spent once again. Reno snorted, turning away from his clearly shut-down sister and facing the confused gaggle of people staring at the two siblings with both annoyance and curiosity.

"And I had to watch you deal with all that shit you involved yourself in _every single day_\- you wouldn't let me work… you lied to me about so many things! You stopped me from _destroying_ those bastards who dared to touch you and use you like you were worth nothing… I _deserve_ to let it all out now!" Reno roared, his growing rage evident to the occupants of the room as he panted, glaring right at his subdued sister. Maya frowned, but gave up trying to stop Reno from speaking. Nodding her head, she let her gaze drop to her intertwined fingers and anxiously waited for Reno to begin revealing her biggest secret.

Olivia's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she took in the disturbing scene before her. She'd always thought that Maya and Reno had a sibling bond that was completely unbreakable. Sure, she knew that siblings always did have their differences, but _this_ seemed huge. Reno was speaking harshly to the delicate woman she now called her best friend and because no one else knew what exactly was going on, no one could step in and intervene. It was truly breaking her heart to see Reno glare down at his defeated sister with such unadulterated _hate_ in his eyes.

Judging by the words exchanged by the two siblings, Olivia could guess exactly what Maya had to do to support the two in the slums. Sorrow taking over her heart, Olivia couldn't help but press herself firmly to Sephiroth's side to seek some comfort from the tense situation playing out right before their eyes.

Sephiroth, in turn, could do nothing but hold her close as he started to quickly connect the dots about Maya and Reno's past in his head. After a sparse moment, just before Reno could begin speaking in his rage once again, Sephiroth's eyes widened in realisation.

"Dr. Maya Sinclair- youngest clinical psychology graduate in the history of Midgar University… that must have cost quite a lot of gil for the special tuition you indefinitely received," Sephiroth stated quietly. Still, in the tensely quiet room, he might as well have been yelling. Maya's head shot up, her eyes glazed over with unshed tears as she watched Sephiroth fill in the gaps of her story. "The SOLDIER Cadetship program doesn't offer scholarships either. You couldn't have been more than fifteen years of age when you started _work_ to save up for tuition, living expenses _and_ Reno's dream to rise above the plate." A tear slid down Maya's cheek as she took in Sephiroth's words. She thought back to the times when she worked an honest job at the Wall Market Accessory Stand- it afforded her enough money to keep Reno's stomach full and his body fully clothed. However… without extra funds, she was having a hard time taking care of herself.

That was when _he'd_ forced her into a job she couldn't refuse given her circumstances. What else was she supposed to do in the face of a life-changing sum of gil?

She was so stupid.

She should have known that _his_ words were meaningless.

"I needed to keep the both of us alive," Maya spoke up quietly, ignoring Reno's groan of frustration. "Reno and I… we had no one to help us survive in the slums and my job at the accessory stall was barely enough to afford us a loaf of bread. It had been… around five years since Mother and Father passed away from a severe case of Mako Poisoning. When news of our parents' passing on got to President ShinRa, he'd immediately seized ownership of all of our parents' property and savings- because that was part of the employment contract they'd signed," Maya took a deep breath, looking up at Reno who stood with his arms folded across his chest and his jaw clenched in silent agony as he re-lived the difficult times Maya was recounting. Catching his older sister's eyes, Reno sighed and let his shoulders slump. Suddenly tired, he made his way back to the elder Sinclair and collapsed next to her, grabbing a hold of her clammy hand.

"We were fuckin' left to rot out on the streets. We had no place to go and nothing to our names. Maya was only ten years old at the time… I had barely started Kindergarten back then," Reno scratched the back of his head as he thought about his past. "We were basically left in the Sector Seven slums to try and survive. Goddess… we were _only kids_…" Reno reminisced tiredly. "Dad had an older brother who estranged himself from the family ages ago or somethin'. His name was Hugh Sinclair. He lived in the Sector Seven slums and apparently he'd been notified of our 'situation'," Reno spoke bitterly as his grip on Maya's hand tightened. Maya fought her anxiety with every ounce of strength she had in her body as images of her _disgusting_ uncle tormented her.

Noticing Maya's clear struggle with her emotions, Olivia frowned and sat forward attentively.

"Sweetie, is that who you were trying to tell me about in the bedroom before these _men_," Olivia shot the SOLDIERs and Turk an unimpressed look before continuing, "interrupter us?" she inquired softly. Reno narrowed his eyes at the petite blond and proceeded to turn his body to face is sister.

"What's she sayin'?" Reno raised his eyebrows, his facial expression looking positively murderous. Maya shivered and hugged herself, shaking her head as she could hardly believe her situation. She was about to reveal her deepest, darkest secrets in a room full of friends from work! There really was no more room to add any additional feelings of awkwardness and anxiety.

"It's true; I saw Hugh that evening after I practically forced Commander Rhapsodos to go to his meeting," Maya murmured, her dark lashes brushing against her pudgy cheeks as she blinked rapidly to clear the moisture from her eyes. "He didn't _do_ anything to me though- I promise Reno!" Maya looked up into her younger brother's rage-filled eyes and implored. Reno clenched his fists as he turned his gaze away from his sister's wide, compassionate orbs.

"You should have told me… or notified ShinRa. We could have _destroyed_ that pathetic excuse of a man!" Reno yelled. Genesis moved forward, his hands crossed in front of his chest, with a fierce expression on his aristocratic features.

"Now, now Renaldo- use your _inside voice_. I don't think anyone here appreciates your frequent tendency to scream incoherently over everything that is unfair in the world," Genesis chided almost condescendingly. Reno opened his mouth to probably throw a crude insult at the Crimson Commander, only to be stopped by a gentle hand on his forearm.

"Reno, stop it. Go to bed and calm down- I'll tell them everything they need to know. Just stop worrying about me and head on to bed. You've had such a long week and you're not in any condition to have a rational conversation—"

"I resent that—!" Reno muttered under his breath. Maya ignored him and continued to speak gently as she took his elbow into her grasp and carefully led her baby brother towards his bedroom. Zack moved in on the two siblings and flung an arm over the eighteen-year-old red head.

"Don't worry Doc, I'll tuck him in!" Zack offered cheerfully as he steered an indignant Reno off towards his bedroom. Maya couldn't help but wonder when Zack had become so perceptive. Maybe, he was much more aware of the things happening around him than she gave credit for. Shaking her head slightly, she turned back towards the three SOLDIERs and receptionist with a small, reluctant smile on her face.

Sephiroth cleared his throat and motioned towards Maya's usual seat.

"We would appreciate a clear explanation of your situation. Though I feel that I have an idea of what you were subject to during your time in the slums, I still have my doubts. We are here to help you as we are your close confidants. Please, do know that whatever you tell us will be regarded as highly sensitive information and will not leave the room," the Silver General goaded, his tone sure and warm. Maya couldn't help but show the General a genuine smile as she moved towards her seat and sat down.

"Thanks Seph… I'm sorry about earlier," Maya apologised, blushing as she caught Olivia squeezing Sephiroth's large hand with her small one. Sephiroth sighed and shook his head in understanding.

"It is alright- but I would like a sound explanation as to why you reacted in such a way. You hurt my feelings," Sephiroth explained lightly. At this, Genesis snorted in amusement, gaining the attention of the raven Banoran.

"Genesis, please do control yourself." Angeal deadpanned, clearly tired as he rubbed at his temples before offering Maya a kind smile. Maya fiddled with her fingers, averting her gaze from the honourable man, suddenly feeling extremely small in his presence.

Her absence seemed to have taken a toll on everyone she was associated with. She owed them the truth. Nodding to herself, she accepted the difficult task of explaining her past to her friends. Casting one last sad glance at her friends, she began her story.

"My father's brother offered both Reno and I a warm place to sleep in exchange for money. I could afford to pay him the expenses for Reno since I worked at the accessory shop during the day," Maya took a deep breath, avoiding eye-contact with the others. "As I grew older, he wanted more board money and so he came back with a man and a dressing bag…" Maya shuddered as she recalled the sly smirks on the two men's faces as they intimidated her into taking the job. "My uncle said he'd kill Reno if I didn't bring him more money… because 'he wasn't in to taking little boys'. I was stupid and desperate and I really needed the money… so I agreed to working at the Honey Bee Inn. Uncle Hugh told me that I'd just be a hostess… that I didn't have to do anything I wasn't ready to do," Maya's voice wavered as she struggled on with her story. Sephiroth couldn't help but look down at his hands on his lap, his head shaking from side to side as his suspicions were confirmed. Olivia's face was streaming with silent tears, her hazel eyes full of pity and compassion for her best friend. Angeal held his face in a stoic expression, although his fists were clenched tightly as they rested above his knees. Zack's eyes were wide as he took in every word his doctor disclosed, a thoughtful frown fixed on his face as he nodded intermittently.

Genesis Rhapsodos merely stared silently at his love, not quite willing to believe what he was hearing.

"Did he touch you?" the Crimson Commander choked out when all was silent. Maya glanced up at the emotional man briefly before nodding once. Letting out a long breath, Genesis stood up from his seat and took a step towards Maya. Ignoring the alarmed glances the others were throwing him, Genesis moved to kneel in front of the dark-haired psychologist. Gently grasping Maya's hands in his own warm hold, he squeezed her gently. Maya's breath hitched slightly as she registered that Genesis was actually willing to touch her after her confession. "Did you _want_ him to?" he whispered quietly, gazing up imploringly.

Maya let out a sob, her damn of emotions finally breaking down as her stiff shoulders finally caved down while she heaved in a shaky breath.

"N-n-no," Maya choked, allowing herself to be enveloped in Genesis' warmth as he immediately took the fragile woman into his arms. Angeal couldn't help but smile at the extreme care with which Genesis handled Maya. Sephiroth let out a troubled sigh as he sat uncomfortably next to a silently crying Olivia.

"Oh my goodness… no way did that ass touch my Maya," Olivia rambled incoherently as she sniffled into a tissue she'd pulled out of an unknown location. Zack bit his lip and remained quiet, his eyes showing his clear distress as they darted between the many people who were currently in the living room.

"Are you aware of his current residential address?" Sephiroth asked in a quiet voice, the silent rage clear as day. Maya buried her face further into Genesis' black uniform vest and shook her head frantically. In turn, Genesis ran his bare hand through her tangled locks and patted her head in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

"With all due respect Seph, I don't think Maya cares much about hurting this Hugh guy as much as he hurt her for basically selling her to a pimp," Zack spoke in a casual tone, earning pointed glares from everyone one in the room excluding the now quietly crying Maya. "What? It's the truth! She just needs us to be her friends and that's what we're gonna do!" Zack stated, conviction in his voice as he raised a fist in the air. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at the young Second-Class, but nodded all the same.

"You're right- I was being irrational." Sephiroth amended. Genesis rolled his eyes at this, still petting Maya's head as he spoke.

"That's not to say that we will _completely refrain_ from messing this man up, correct?" Genesis prompted.

At this, Maya pulled away from Genesis with a frown set on her flushed, pudgy face.

"_Genesis_!" Maya protested, swiping at her eyes hastily. Genesis stared at her with wide eyes.

"Dear, dear Maya… you're not in your right mind at the moment, and I know that. However, you can't expect me to believe you don't desire to kick that man between the legs and leave the slum dogs to feed on his defecated corpse, can you?" Genesis implored. Maya's eyes widened at Genesis' rather specific description just as Angeal cleared his throat sternly.

"Genesis, stop it." The Crimson Commander pouted and gently reached out for Maya. When she didn't protest against his hold he gently led her back into his arms.

"Fine, but I get to hold her." Angeal rolled his eyes at this, a smile forming on his face at his older friend's protective behaviour.

"No one said you couldn't. Maya certainly doesn't seem to mind," Angeal pointed out mischievously. Blushing, Maya smiled up shyly at the man holding her and boldly moved to settle against his warm chest in a more comfortable position. Laying her cheek on the black material of his uniform, Maya shook her head.

"I'm surprisingly comfortable right here," she affirmed softly. Olivia cooed at the picture of Genesis and Maya snuggled up together. Casting a side longing glance at Sephiroth, she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the uncomfortable look on his face.

"Seph, you look like you need to use the bathroom- what's wrong?" Olivia asked, her voice both amused and nasally from her previous crying. Sephiroth shook his head, his eyes wide.

"What make you think I need to use the lavatory facilities? I assure you, I do not hold the desire to excrete at this moment in time. Thank you for your concern." Olivia couldn't help but giggle at the Silver General's reply. He was so cute when he was being socially awkward- she absolutely _loved_ it!

"_No_, that's not what I meant… sometimes I don't know whether I should grab you and kiss you or slap you upside the head for being an idiot," Olivia murmured to herself, casting an impish glance at Maya who couldn't help but giggle at her friend's light words. Sephiroth frowned slightly but remained silent as Genesis let out a bark of laughter at his expense.

"Slap him, he deserves it!" Genesis practically cheered, earning a stern glare from both Angeal and Sephiroth. Maya merely frowned up at him before clearing her throat loudly, getting the attention of all the people who were currently chattering in her living room.

"Guys… thank you. I know that you may see me in a different light now but… I'm just so grateful you haven't aimed any bitter words towards me," Maya stated quietly as she withdrew from Genesis' now loose hold.

The Crimson Commander tilted his head to the side, his sharp jawline catching Maya's attention. Blushing slightly, Maya averted her gaze and looked down at her toes. She was _hugging_ Genesis just a few moments ago. Taking a deep breath in, she nearly squealed in unfamiliar, giddy happiness as she realised she smelled like his cologne.

"I admit… I'm not the most emotionally stable man on the planet," Genesis glared as he heard Sephiroth and Zack scoff at his words but continued speaking earnestly despite the disruption. "However, I _genuinely_ like you Maya… we may not be anything more than friends right now but I do believe we are moving in the right direction towards something more. I want to know everything about you, I want to _know_ you. We're not perfect," Zack gasped at Genesis' admission, effectively cutting off his deep and meaningful confession to an entranced Maya.

"Shit, the apocalypse is coming! Genesis just admitted he's not perfect… shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Zack panicked, flapping his arms around as he paced around Angeal.

"Zack. Language," the raven-haired Banoran reprimanded sternly, although there was a hint of smile on the older man's face.

Genesis brought his elegant fingers to his temples and massaged them lightly before stepping closer towards Maya, deciding to ignore the chaos around him. He had to tell her… he had to let her know he was committed to her- even if she wasn't ready to commit to him.

"Maya, listen to me… I'll take care of you. I promise I'll always protect you. I'll be good to you. I'll be good for you. I'll be your strength, and in turn you'll be my reason for being strong. Please… I need you." Genesis implored in hushed tones, his gently grip holding Maya steady.

Maya blinked up at Genesis, a look of confusion on her face before her lips formed a small, timid smile.

"Genesis," Maya shook her head before placing her hand on his forearm and stroking it in a comforting manner. "Theatre has made you so dramatic… we'll see where life takes us." She smiled gently at him, a slowly trickling tear sliding down her blushing cheek.

Genesis' cheeks lifted as he grinned boyishly down at his Maya.

Pulling her closer, he enveloped the strong, damaged young woman in his arms once again.

"I'll help fix things with ShinRa… I'll help you," Genesis murmured softly into Maya's ear, ignoring Zack's happy sobbing at the adorable picture he and Maya made.

Maya pressed the side of her face to Genesis' chest and nodded slowly before pulling away again. Showing Genesis a brilliant smile, she looked around the room- feeling a little embarrassed as she belatedly noticed everyone had been staring right at both her and Genesis. Still, she offered her strong, kind smile at all of her friends before she spoke up in a tired, yet happy voice.

"Thank you."

Zack pumped his fist in acknowledgment while Angeal nodded from beside his pupil.

"No worries Doc! We're all here for you, no matter what! We're not friends with your past, we're friends with you, so don't think anything's gone and changed between us or anything," Zack grinned.

"If anything, your revelation has led me to respect you and your strength even more. Please don't feel burdened by the fact that we know of your past- this revelation will not leave this apartment." Turning to his mentee, Angeal grabbed him and dragged the protesting puppy towards the front door. "We'll be getting out of your hair now- it's getting late and you need to rest. I'll call you tomorrow morning before I pick you and Reno up for breakfast," Angeal held his hand up as Maya moved to protest his kind offer. "This is not up for debate. I need to try the waffles at that new place in Sector 2 anyways so I can update my blog." Maya sighed and shrugged her shoulders in defeat.

"Alright then, good night Angeal. See you tomorrow." Angeal nodded and moved to drag a rather dejected Zachary Fair out the door. However, before he was successful at doing so, Olivia stood up and waved her hands around in the air excitedly in a bid to get everyone's attention.

"Guys, let's have a Brunch Date! All of us! Tomorrow! It will be great for de-stressing!" Olivia exclaimed excitedly. Angeal pondered the idea for a few moments before slowly nodding his head in agreement.

"Sounds good; is everyone available tomorrow?" Maya looked around in confusion, not really sure about what was going on. Her eyes stopped on an adorably tired and confused looking Silver General.

"What is 'brunch'? Is it embarrassing?" he questioned in alarm. Olivia stopped jumping around excitedly long enough to shoot the man of her affections an unimpressed look before plopping down in his lap. Before Sephiroth could even protest, Olivia began her explanation.

"Brunch is a hybrid between breakfast and lunch. It's like… you eat breakfast food at a time nearing lunch. Brunch is brunch. Get it?" Olivia questioned. Sephiroth shook his head slowly.

"Not really. Shouldn't we just wait until lunch time and then just have lunch? Or wake up early enough to make it to have breakfast foods such as waffles and pancakes? Brunch is a redundant concept!" Olivia rolled her eyes at this.

"Are you free or not, General?" Sephiroth, looking put out, merely nodded before averting his gaze. Olivia looked at everyone else with expectant hazel eyes, receiving a quick nod from everyone. Turning back to an amused looking Angeal, the feisty blonde blinked at him innocently. "Everyone's free, so how about just staying back here and leaving for brunch together?" Olivia turned to Maya, looking for permission. "That is, if Maya doesn't mind us all crashing here?" The short brunette shook her head quickly, waving her arms in front of her.

"N-no, of course I don't mind," Maya caught Genesis' eye at that moment and blushed as she realised Genesis Rhapsodos would be sleeping over in _her_ apartment. "I'm sure I have enough blankets for everyone…" Zack cheered, bouncing towards Reno's room.

"Well, I'm beat! I'll just share with Reno- no homo!" and with that, Zack disappeared into the younger Sinclair's room, causing a racket that elicited a few choice swear words from a groggy, drunk Reno. Blinking at Zack's hyperactive behaviour despite the late hour, Maya shook her head and turned to the rest of her friends.

"There's a couch in the study down the hall. There's a small adjoining bathroom there if you need to use it," she cast a meaningful glance at Angeal before shifting her eyes towards the quietly bickering Sephiroth and Olivia. Catching Maya's meaning, Angeal smirked and nodded as he stood up from his position leaning against the far wall.

"Looks like I found my place of lodging. Thank you for your hospitality Maya, I really appreciate it," Maya nodded, blushing at Angeal's kind words. Clearly, her story failed to change Angeal's attitude towards her and she was glad for it.

"It's not problem. Let me know if there's anything you need. Good night," Angeal smiled before waving at the remaining people in the living room. Maya turned to Olivia, Sephiroth and Genesis before clearing her throat and pointing towards the spare bedroom just next to her own. "There's a spare bedroom there with a double-bed that Seph usually uses when he sleeps over," Maya looked up at Genesis who narrowed his eyes at her.

"I will _not_ share a bed with my General." Genesis deadpanned. Olivia couldn't help but giggle at the hurt look that appeared on Sephiroth's face at Genesis' words.

"What do you mean by that, friend?" Sephiroth asked, his tone soft. Genesis rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in defiance.

"Don't take my reaction too personally Sephiroth. You're a loyal friend but there are two things that I am not willing to share with even my best friends: my bed and my girl." Sephiroth's face still showed traces of hurt but he remained silent as he nodded.

"I will take my rest here then," Sephiroth compromised. Olivia rolled her eyes at the two men and stood up, pulling Sephiroth along with her. Maya shot her an alarmed look as she quickly realised what was going on.

"I don't know why you two are being so dramatic about this! Seph and I can share the spare bedroom and Gen can share with Maya. Problem solved!" Olivia narrowed her eyes at Genesis, stepping close to him in a threatening manner. "But if you lay even a _hair_ on my baby Maya, I'll use your precious Firaga to burn your dick to a crisp- you hear me Commander?" Genesis couldn't help but gulp as he involuntarily broke out into a cold sweat. Casting a quick glance at the only other man in the room for some empathy, he rolled his eyes as he say the Silver General look ready to pounce the blonde witch who threatened his masculinity. The General sure had some weird kinks…

"I hear you loud and clear Miss. Jennings. Now go and appease our horny General while I get ready for bed," Olivia rolled her eyes before casting a glance at Sephiroth. A giggle escaped her throat as she realised Genesis was telling the truth about Sephiroth's apparent 'excitement'. It was all in the hazy lust he conveyed with his eyes… he must have loved her sadistic side.

She mentally noted that fact as she took the Silver General's hand and pulled him towards the spare bedroom. Letting Sephiroth enter first, Olivia paused and smiled impishly at a scandalised looking Maya Sinclair.

"I know I told Gen not to touch you, but you're free to do whatever you want to him. Despite the obvious noise Seph and I are gonna be making tonight, I wish you a _very_ good night," she threw a wink over her shoulder at Maya who was now blushing at Olivia's insinuations. Olivia's eyes widened as she remembered one more thing to say. Grinning, Olivia blew Maya a playful kiss, "and you're welcome!"

Maya blinked, feeling stupefied as the spare bedroom's door closed behind Olivia's small frame.

The sound of Genesis clearing his throat from behind her made Maya jump in a startle. Turning around slowly, Maya nearly fainted as she came face to face with a shirtless Commander Genesis Rhapsodos.

"Come Maya, you've had a long day. We'd best sleep it off," when Maya stayed glued to her spot, Genesis sighed and grasped her shaking shoulders in his warm palms and steered her towards her bedroom. Before she knew it, Genesis had pulled back the covers, pushed her gently into them and tucked her in. Maya watched in both fear and awe as Genesis lay down next to her on top of the sheets, his hands folded behind his head and eyes closed. After a few moments of watching the side of his face, Maya reached out and gently poked his bare bicep.

Genesis cracked on eyes open and looked at her questioningly. The nervous woman cleared her throat and rustled the sheets slightly.

"Won't you get cold?" she asked in a whisper. Genesis moved onto his side, using his elbow to brace himself as he looked into Maya's face which was framed by her pillows and covers. She looked too cute like that, he didn't want to believe anyone could take advantage of her the way her uncle did…

"Aren't you scared I'll try something?" he whispered back, his eyes intently watching her. Maya felt herself smile at the warm, glow Genesis' mako eyes gave off. Shaking her head, she moved to slip out of bed. Genesis stood with her on the other side of the bed, huffing. "Maya, what are you-?" his question was answered as Maya pulled down his own side of the sheets and stubbornly pointed at the bed.

"P-please get i-in," Maya stuttered, her confidence slowly fading as she watched Genesis' eyes dart from the bed to her. She heard him heave a heavy sigh before he settled himself into his side of the sheets, sleeping on his back with his hands under his head once again.

"Happy?" he asked softly. Maya nodded before slipping into her own side of the bed. Turning on her side, she moved so that she could face him. Her previously rapid heartbeat calmed down rapidly as her body absorbed the heat from Genesis' own furnace-like body heat. His scent lingered in her senses and she let out a contented sigh. Daring to move closer to her surprisingly gently and caring source of comfort, Maya snuggled into Genesis' side.

"I'm so happy I can trust someone to keep me safe and well again. Thank you Genesis," Maya murmured before drifting off into a fitful sleep. Genesis sighed and glanced down at the chubby young psychologist sleeping soundly next to him. He couldn't help the grin forming on his lips as he watched Maya's peaceful face sleep so soundly.

She looked so beautiful… nothing could disturb this moment.

"Oh… SEPH! I've waited so long for this moment!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Do it _harder_!"

"Will you not get injured?"

"Seph, just shut up and keep going!"

Genesis nearly groaned in both frustration and embarrassment.

He'd obviously thought/spoken too soon.

Glancing down at Maya's oblivious face, Genesis sighed and ran a hand through his hair, cursing his mako enhanced hearing for being way too perceptive.

At least Maya would have a good sleep.

Genesis smiled at this thought.

Who knew… love made even the most self-absorbed people selfless.

* * *

**Note/Fun facts: I wrote the first half of this chapter on the train. I wrote the second half in an exam-induced depression. Please don't judge me xD Oh yes, Womble- YOU MAY PM ME ABOUT FFXIII (and all affiliated games) AND FANGIRL/BOY ALL YOU WANT! :D :D :D  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**A.N: _Hi all! Thank you Ninja and Womble for your loyal and lovely reviews for last chapter! Your positive feedback really spurred me on to write yet another chapter before I inevitably buckle down and concentrate on my studies for the next two months. I wanted to leave you with some humourous/dramatic stuff to mull over in my absence before I really start to get into the crux of the conflicts all these characters will face in the story. So... I hope you all enjoy the healthy dose of Angeal I threw in! Let me know what you think about my portrayal of Angeal as the reasonable troll of the group HAHAHA!_**

**_Hope you enjoy this rather quick update! :D_**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen-**

When Maya Sinclair awoke the next morning, she nearly squealed out of both fear and happiness when she came to the realisation that she was cuddled up against a dozing Genesis Rhapsodos. With her arms held tightly to her chest, Maya let her gaze lift from Genesis' bare chest and up towards his relaxed facial features. The usually arrogant looking man looked almost cherubic as his lightly tanned skin was illuminated slightly by the cracks of early morning sunlight filtering through her yellow and green floral themed curtains. Holding in a giggle, Maya stared up at the sleeping Commander for a few more moments- the feeling in her chest reminiscent of thousands of butterflies fluttering around gently and brightly in her insides.

Maya sighed lightly and closed her eyes, moving closer to the human furnace that was Genesis Rhapsodos. Her nervous, skeptical side vehemently disapproved of her actions- leading her to question how she could even possibly allow herself to spend the night under the covers in such close proximity with a man famed for his apparent _prowess_ in 'the sack' to put it crudely. However, her girlish, optimistic side shoved her skeptical side away- rather roughly- and sung happily about love and peace and joy as Maya drew closer to the man who held her affections. Inhaling his sweet and spicy scent, the young psychologist proceeded to bury her nose into his chest and let his close-by heart beat and comforting heat lull her back into a comforting sleep.

* * *

Sephiroth lay wide awake, his eyes comically wide as he stared up at the plain ceiling. Next to him lay a thoroughly spent Olivia Jennings, who despite her weariness was weakly grinning whilst she hugged Sephiroth's muscled arm to her chest.

"I can't believe we did that!" Olivia softly exclaimed, turning her body so that she was facing Sephiroth. Taking in his rather dazed expression, Olivia immediately frowned and poked the Silver General's bicep. "Hey, what's the matter?" she asked, concern flowing through her words. Sephiroth quickly shook his head and turned his body that he was now on his side, facing his girlfriend. Sephiroth almost blushed as he looked into her intelligent hazel eyes. His gaze trailed down to her smooth, tanned shoulder and he licked his lips, remembering just how _well_ he had got to know her in the past few hours.

"Olivia, I must ask you a very important question…" Sephiroth trailed off, anxiety evident in his tone. Olivia's eyes watered at the intensity of Sephiroth's stare on her. Silently, she nodded her head. She was afraid that if she spoke, she's ruin the magic of the moment. Sephiroth's entire demeanour was all collective evidence of one thing and one thing only- he even said he was going to ask her an important question!

Was there even a question more important to a man and woman than what she was thinking right this very moment? Of course Sephiroth was going to ask her to marry him! Olivia frowned internally at this thought; her parents would _never_ approve of her marriage at such a young age. Olivia shook her head slightly and smiled softly at the handsome man who was sharing a bed with her at that instance. Her parents would just have to deal- it wasn't like any young lady was asked to marry the General of ShinRa's Army on a daily basis. There was no way she would say no to her Silver General!

"I'm listening," Olivia whispered breathily. Sephiroth looked into her emotional hazel eyes with confused green orbs, not exactly sure of what elicited such an emotional response from the blond woman. Still, he cleared his throat and reached for Olivia's small hand and clasped it in his own. At this action, Olivia's breath hitched.

"What we shared tonight was… impossibly pleasurable. My feelings for you transcend those that can be interpreted by the mind and felt by the body- this I am sure of. I cannot label this feeling with the word 'love' for it is not strong enough," Olivia's eyes watered as she nodded along, not able to fully comprehend that Sephiroth was expressing himself in such an uncharacteristic way. Nevertheless, she refrained from disrupting him as he spoke. If he was proposing, she wasn't going to step in and ruin it for him. "However… there is one thing that troubles me about what we shared tonight," Sephiroth frowned as he averted his gaze. Olivia sighed and reached out to cup Sephiroth's cheek in a loving gesture.

"It's okay… I wanted to be with you before marriage- you don't have to worry about dishonouring an unmarried woman Seph," Sephiroth's now confused gaze shot back to Olivia's smiling face, his body completely stiff at Olivia's grave misinterpretation.

"Marriage? No, that's not what I am referring to," Sephiroth clarified, his tone incredulous. Olivia retracted her hand, her gaze dropping in disappointment as she mulled over Sephiroth's words.

"Then _what_ are you referring to Seph? Out with it!" Olivia demanded softly, taking care not to raise her voice in fear of waking the other sleeping occupants of the house. Sephiroth gulped nervously and pointed towards Olivia's purse which was laying on the floor, quite a ways away from the bed.

Like it had just been discarded there in a hurry.

Olivia blushed slightly and shrugged.

"So I'm a little messy and disorganised! I didn't hear you complaining last night!" Olivia's tone was now rising in volume as her annoyance steadily grew. Noticing this, Sephiroth took Olivia's shoulders in his grip and pinned her down onto the bed, hovering over her on his elbows with his long silver locks cascading down from his shoulder like a curtain. Olivia gulped and stared into Sephiroth's serious eyes. "Seph?" she questioned, her voice now meek and unsure.

"I don't care about the mess- I know you function best in an unorganised environment. What I hold in my immediate concerns is the fact that I _do not recall using any birth protections_," Sephiroth explained slowly, in a hushed whisper.

For a few moments, both Olivia and Sephiroth merely blinked up at each other before Olivia's eyes opened wide in realisation. Hastily, Olivia pushed Sephiroth off her and jumped out of bed, taking the covers with her.

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shitty, shit, shit! No. No, they were _right there_. We had them… why didn't we…" Olivia panicked, pacing around in the small space she had, desperately clutching the sheets to her chest like it was a lifeline. Meanwhile, Sephiroth quickly moved to pull his clothes on (despite feeling slightly disgusting for not having taken a shower first before doing so) before Olivia inevitably turned on him. Although he'd never been in such a situation before, he'd heard plenty about 'the morning after going _terribly_ wrong' in the barracks. He'd have to be ready to make a quick exit if he wanted to leave Maya's residence with his prized locks intact.

"Maybe I've not fertilised your eggs—" Sephiroth's rather lame attempt at consoling Olivia was interrupted by the blonde woman's intense glare.

"What do you mean '_I've not fertilised your eggs_'? I can guarantee you Seph, that the five times we did the horizontal tango last night, at least three of those times resulted in fertilisation!" Olivia exclaimed before letting her legs give out underneath herself. "Oh my gosh… Seph, I'm too young to have a baby! You're too busy to be a daddy… shit, shit, shit!" Olivia cursed as the first few tears of distress began to leak out of her eyes. Sephiroth slowly made his way over, not exactly knowing what he was expected to do in such a situation. He frowned as he thought of the inevitable talk Angeal would give him, explaining how disappointed he was in him and his dishonourable actions towards poor, innocent Olivia. Placing a warm, steady hand on Olivia's quivering back, Sephiroth sighed dejectedly and rubbed the petite woman's back in an attempt to calm her down.

"My apologies Olivia- I have hurt you gravely. I will not ask for your forgiveness, but I shall offer you my unconditional support so long as I am able to," Sephiroth intoned as he rubbed soothing circles into Olivia's back. Hiccupping, Olivia let out a weak giggle at Sephiroth's serious words.

"Oh… Seph," she turned around and threw her arms around the surprised Silver General, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Taking in a deep breath of his scent, Olivia continued to sob softly. "Mummy and Daddy are going to be so disappointed in me… I should have thought this all through. We moved too fast- what am I going to tell them? We're not even actively dating…" Olivia gasped, withdrawing from Sephiroth's secure hold, startling the Silver General with her unpredictable actions. "Was I just a conquest?" she asked, her eyes staring up pleadingly into Sephiroth's green gaze. Hurt, Sephiroth averted his gaze and cleared his throat.

"Why would you even think such a thing? I am not a man who beds just any woman he finds attractive."

"Now you're mad. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! If only I was thinking… it's not like you knew any better either—" Olivia rambled, her voice breaking into heavy sobs once again.

"I _did_ know better. I should have had more self-control; I should have stopped myself!" Sephiroth said bitterly. Olivia merely nodded, acknowledging his statement before reaching out for his hand. Clasping it tightly in her own, she tugged him down, forcing him to kneel beside him. She smiled sadly at him as he regarded her with guarded eyes filled with shame.

"Where do we go from here?" Olivia asked, her voice hushed. Sephiroth sighed and shrugged, bringing out his PHS and checking the time.

"We're going to that Waffle House after everyone is awake, but I assume that is not the answer you were looking for," Sephiroth offered unsurely. Olivia huffed, a genuine giggle rising up her throat as she stood up, pulling Sephiroth up with her.

"You're right, we should talk about this on a full stomach." Sephiroth nodded, glad that he hadn't been violently assaulted by the woman who turned his insides to jelly- in a good way mind you. His gaze softened as he took in the vulnerable, yet elegant picture Olivia painted, standing in front of him, clutching the sheets to her chest. Pulling her forward, he enveloped her in what he hoped was a reassuring hug.

"I am not mad by the way," Sephiroth murmured, pulling away from Olivia who was now shyly smiling up at her man. "I just wanted you to know." Olivia nodded in acknowledgement, inwardly gushing at how kind her boyfriend was despite his cool, apathetic military man image.

"Thank you Seph. I'm glad you're the one who knocked me up," Olivia intoned, her voice void of jest as she spoke the bizarre sentence with genuine feeling. Sephiroth chuckled and gently grabbed Olivia's shoulders, turning her and steering her towards the adjoining bathroom.

"You are most welcome, I suppose. Now, let's get you cleaned up Ms. Jenning. I do not think Genesis and Angeal would appreciate the subtle smell of adult activities clinging to our persons as we move amongst them throughout the day," Olivia wrinkled her nose at Sephiroth's strange sense of humour as Genesis and Angeal's tired voices rang through the nearby walls.

"Too late for that!"

* * *

Renaldo Sinclair moaned in discomfort as he clutched at his throbbing head. The offending sunlight which had cruelly woken him up streamed through his black and blue striped silk curtains. Glaring at the life-giving light, Reno shoved the covers off himself and almost screamed when he found Zack clinging to his torso- snoring away like nothing was wrong.

"Damn it man, how did you get in here?" Reno mumbled after the shock of finding the SOLDIER puppy clinging to him so early in the morning wore off. There was nothing to worry about- after all, they both had _all_ their clothes on. Nothing dodgy happened during the night and Reno was glad for that small consolation.

Reno glanced down at a still peacefully snoozing Zachary Fair drooling all over his crinkled work shirt. Sighing in defeat, he let the slightly younger boy-man sleep for a few more peaceful minutes before he needed to urgently take a leak.

"Yo, I'm gonna piss myself if you don't let go." Reno deadpanned as he harshly jabbed at Zack's side. With a low whine, Zack tore his eyes open and snatched his arms away from Reno's torso, chuckling bashfully.

"Oh, hey man- nice morning huh?" Zack offered, his expression looking extremely uncomfortable as he attempted to smile at his friend. Reno merely grunted and swung his feet off the bed and stood up to head towards his bathroom.

"Yeah, for you maybe. I've got a killer headache and I don't know how I'm gonna survive the day at work," Reno groaned as he wrenched open his bathroom door and shut it behind him as he took care of his morning business. As he washed his hands, the red-haired Turk cupped his hands and splashed water on his face. Looking up at his reflection in the mirror, he blinked rapidly to get the water droplets off the ends of his long eyelashes. Taking the time to stare into his reflection, Reno sighed sadly and ran a wet hand through his haphazard red locks.

He had to apologise to Maya- he'd said way too much and she _still_ sent him off to bed with sweet words and a smile. Even Zack had been more mature than he was last night. That was _not_ a good sign at all. Groaning quietly, Reno exited the bathroom only to find Zack doing some rather energetic looking squats in what little clear space the younger man could find in his messy room. Reno just stood still and watched the Zack exercise for a few moments before shaking his head and making his way to his dresser to pull out a random office shirt for the day.

Zack stopped his exercises as he watched the miserable male Sinclair trudge about in his room, looking for bits and pieces of his Turk uniform. Clearing his throat, the younger man tried to get Reno's attention.

"Um… you know that it's Saturday, right? We don't have to be at work until afternoon." Zack reminded the older man timidly. This quiet reminder stopped Reno in his tracks. After a few moments of contemplation, Reno's lips broke out into a gleeful grin. Spinning around to face the bringer of his good news, Reno clapped his lanky arms to his sides in relief.

"Shit man, you couldn't have mentioned that to me earlier? And here I thought Tseng was gonna bust my balls for being late _and_ drunk so early in the morning!" Zack tilted his head in confusion as he regarded the now bouncy red-head as he enthusiastically fished out an outfit consisting of a comfortable graphic t-shirt which read _"Screw the Rules, Show Me the Money"_ and a pair of khaki cargo pants with _plenty_ of pockets.

"You're still drunk?" Reno nodded at Zack's question, quickly making his way to his bathroom to get ready for the day.

"Yeah man, or else it ain't worth the pain the next day. At least this way I can be in a little pain, but relieve it throughout the day to the point that I never have to take the full brunt of a killer hang-over," Reno explained through the now closed bathroom door as he quickly got ready. Zack sat himself down on the messy bedsheets of Reno's bed and let out a confused huff.

"That's okay I guess but… would you mind explaining to me why you're in such a rush to get ready? Like… I know I'm excited about the free meal Angeal's providing us all later but there's _no way_ you'd know about that. I mean, I shoved you into your sheets and cast that Sleep spell on you before—" at this moment, Reno wrenched open his bathroom door and glared daggers at a now sheepish looking Zack Fair.

"You cast Sleep on me last night?" the Turk asked, the vein in his temple twitching as he fought to keep from yelling. Zack nodded, a bright smile taking over his face.

"Yeah! It was my first successful status spell! Hey… you don't look too happy about that," Zack trailed off, a look of uncertainty in his eyes as Reno stalked forward with a maniacal look in his aquamarine eyes.

"I. Am not. Your human. Guineapig!" Reno bellowed in measured intervals before giving chase to a rather hysterical Zack who wrenched open the bedroom door to run as far as possible from the homicidal Turk pursuing him, only to run straight into his mentor.

* * *

"Oh thank the Goddess! Angeal, the Turk's trying to _murder_ me!" Zack cried hysterically he moved to hide behind his saviour. Angeal sighed tiredly, surprised that Zack had gotten a good night's rest despite all the disturbing _noise_ that had been circulating around the apartment all night. Angeal narrowed his eyes at the thought of his younger friend, but then softened as he realised that it was about time Sephiroth engaged in some normal debauchery typical of males of his age.

'Not that I'm much older than Seph," Angeal reminded himself as he shook his head. The pensive First was brought out of his inner musings by a rather loud yell that originated from his pupil. Shooting a soft glare over his shoulder, Zack quietened down immediately, resorting to whimpering quietly as he watched Reno glare daggers at him from the other side of Angeal's intimidating presence.

"Angeal, you're a good guy so I'll give you the option to kindly step out of the way before I teach this kid to keep his magical experiments to himself," Reno spoke calmly as he breathed in and out heavily. Angeal narrowed his eyes as he registered Reno's words and turned to stare incredulously at his pupil who now wore a rather guilty look on his face.

"Zack, is this true?" the raven First asked quietly as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Reno stepped up to the fatherly man and bore his gaze down on a now sheepish looking Second Class SOLDIER. When Zack didn't answer immediately, Angeal cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows in question.

"It's true," Zack admitted with a defeated sigh. Angeal shook his head in disappointment of his pupil's misdemeanour.

"Zack, you know it's wrong to abuse your material privileges outside of work. Not only is it dangerous to you, but it is dangerous to the person you're using the spell on," Zack opened his mouth to explain himself, only to be interrupted by Angeal's continuing lecture. "Your conduct was not honourable. You may have thought using a Sleep spell to subdue Reno was the right thing to do considering the circumstances of the past night, but it was also dangerous. Just imagine if you used a strong Sleep spell on Reno and he _never_ woke up again. How would Maya feel about that?" Angeal asked, his voice gentle as he registered the shame in his pupil's eyes. Reno snorted, nodding along to Angeal's lecture.

"Yeah, Maya would have busted your balls—"

"Don't think I've forgotten about the way you carried on when you got home from who knows where," Angeal sharply reminded the youthful Turk. Zack cracked a small smirk as Reno was left with his mouth hanging ajar. Quickly gathering his wits, Reno began to protest.

"Yo, 'Geal! That's not cool man- I was off my shit last night! I didn't know what I was sayin'!" Reno tried to explain, but was stopped as Angeal raised his hand, silently requesting for the red head's cessation of speech.

"Enough- you're both going to be punished for your childish and dishonourable behaviour. When we all go out to eat, you two will each contribute to one half of the bill," Angeal began, immediately drowned out by the two young men's vehement protests.

"That's chocobo shit man!" Reno cursed incredulously as he held his hands out in an 'I surrender' gesture. Zack frowned and mumbled something under his breath. Catching his pupil's lips move, Angeal narrowed his eyes at the younger raven SOLDIER and raised his eyebrows.

"What was that Zachary?" he prompted sternly. Zack looked up at his mentor and sighed heavily before opening his mouth to repeat what he had just said.

"This is just your way of getting out of paying for the whole meal since you know Genesis _loves_ pancakes." Zack deadpanned. Angeal blinked at his student before glancing at an expectant Reno. He couldn't help the smile that found its way onto his lips as he chuckled deeply, turning his back on the two youngsters to make his way to the kitchen to make himself some coffee.

"Think of it as what you may; I think it's a rather honourable punishment." Angeal laughed.

Reno turned to Zack the moment they thought Angeal was out of sight.

"He's your mentor?" Reno asked for clarification purposes. Zack nodded numbly.

"Yeah. He's great." Zack said, hanging his head as he mentally calculated how much money he had in his bank account. Reno sighed, suddenly taking pity on the young SOLDIER.

"Fuck man, I am _so_ sorry." Reno offered as he pulled Zack into a one armed hug. Just as he was about to let go, Angeal's voice wafted into the hallways from the kitchen.

"Reno, language."

Reno groaned softly as he withdrew from Zack and shot him a look of sympathy.

"Tseng never tells me off for being foul-mouthed," Reno mumbled quietly to Zack. Just as Zack was about to reply, Angeal's voice disrupted him.

"Well, Tseng isn't here, is he?" Angeal asked, grinning from ear to ear as he heard Reno let out a string of rather creative cusses all dedicated to 'damn mako-enhanced senses'.

Sometimes it was _too easy_ to pick on the younger guys.

* * *

Genesis chuckled as he listened to the exchange between Reno, Zack and Angeal. He felt Maya squirm against his chest and he sighed softly before placing his hand on her soft, dark chocolate locks.

"It's time to get up, my dear." Genesis whispered into Maya's ear. He watched as her ear flashed red in reaction to his close proximity before she practically jumped away from his body like she'd just been burned.

"O-oh... did I keep you from getting on with the day?" Maya asked, drawing her covers up to her chin and glancing up at the shirtless man lying next to her with wide eyes. Genesis noted that her dark orbs held not fear, but curiosity for him which pleased him immensely. Offering a smirk, Genesis shook his head, letting his mussed up bangs fall in front of his teal eyes.

"No, as a matter of fact, you gave me a reason to get a few more hours of shut-eye. Sometimes I despise mako-enhanced hearing," Genesis frowned as he recalled bits and pieces of Olivia and Sephiroth's morning talk that he had accidentally over heard. Turning his gaze to Maya, he reached over to her and slowly pushed her wild locks behind her ear so that he could see her pale, round face more clearly. Internally he noted that she was a natural beauty- so much that she probably didn't even bother with make-up before she rushed over to work every day. Maya frowned at Genesis' dazed look and sat up straight, letting the covers pool at her lap, exposing her rumpled long-sleeve chibi moogle pyjama top.

"Is something the matter?" Maya prodded gently, averting her gaze from Genesis as she belatedly realised that she had just been cuddling with a hot, shirtless man. Genesis took in Maya's newly flushed cheeks and chuckled lightly before leaning forward and gently pinching one of her adorable cheeks. Maya frowned at the feeling and softly glared at the offending man.

"No," he chuckled. "There's nothing wrong- just don't ask Olivia about what happened last night between her and Sephiroth. I don't think she'd appreciate talking about it so soon," Maya frowned at Genesis' words but nodded in understanding.

"It wasn't as if I was waiting to ask her about that but thanks for the heads-up," Maya said with gratitude before slipping out of bed and tottering over to her dressed as she rubbed her bleary eyes. Genesis took a moment to watch the adorable woman as she fumbled about for her outfit for the day and couldn't help but wish he had the privilege to see this precious scene every morning the rest of his life. Shaking the incredibly sappy thoughts out of his mind, Genesis cleared his throat and stood up from the bed and made his way towards the short woman who was now making a beeline for the bathroom.

"Maya, thank you for your hospitality. I'm going to head back to my own apartment and get ready there. I'll be back here in an hour, if that is alright with you?" Genesis asked in a gentle voice, Maya smiled and nodded before she waved at him.

"I'll be waiting, then."

Genesis grinned and offered her a true smile, making him look much younger than the no-nonsense Crimson Commander everyone knew him to be.

"You will be in my thoughts."

And with that, he exited Maya's room after pulling on his rumpled black turtleneck and hastily slipping on his crimson jacket.

All the while he wore a stupid grin on his face, even in the face of a livid Renaldo Caleb Sinclair as he came to the belated realisation that his beloved sister had shared a room with the infamous playboy Genesis Rhapsodos that previous night.

* * *

**Notes/ fun facts:  
**I literally wrote this chapter in two hours. I didn't proof read it at all... so let me know if there are typos and stuff! Also, the Sephiroth and Olivia scene was supposed to be funny but it turned out really dramatic and kinda angsty. But hey, now you know why that supposedly 'random' car/condom discovery scene was written xD Thanks to everyone for reading once again and I hope you're all well! *hearts and hugs for all!*


	19. Chapter 19

**A.N: _It's been more than a month since I updated! Goodness, it was just one assessment/exam after another (and I am still technically supposed to be working on a psychology research proposal due this Friday!) but the fact that I hadn't updated or reviewed or anything in such a long time really bugged me! So I decided to just quickly post up the next chapter briefly introducing Angeal's love interest (WARNING: implied sexuality in this chapter also!) and a certain cute blondie. Can I just mention that my characters are a OOC this chapter. Like definitely OOC... I apologise! We're going to get back to some of the drama and stuff very soon and we're about to head into an altered version of Crisis Core events SO I hope you anticipate that!_**

**_Wish me luck for my final assignment before I sit down, buckle up and begin studying for final exams LOL *cries*._**

**_Enjoy! :)_**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen-**

It took an hour for everyone to finally be ready for Angeal's promised brunch outing. Although Sephiroth had a few spare changes of clothes in Maya's spare bedroom, Angeal had to leave with Genesis in order to get ready for the day. Olivia merely ransacked Maya's wardrobe for something comfortable to wear, whilst Zack _borrowed_ a pair of Reno's jeans and a plain white t-shirt.

Reno huffed impatiently and eyed Zack in displeasure as the young SOLDIER squatted in the middle of the apartment complex's carpark, without a worry in the world.

"Man, would you cut that out! Those are my favourite pair of jeans," Zack stopped mid-squat and stared at Reno momentarily before shaking his head and continuing his exercise, much to the annoyance of the red-haired Turk.

"Can't," Zack panted slightly, squatting up and down faster, "but that explains why they caught my eye."

Reno groaned slapped his forehead with an open palm before turning away from the infuriating young man. His aquamarine eyes landed on the image of his blank looking sister. Reno felt a pang of sorrow pulse through his chest as he remembered all the terrible things he said to her the night before. Taking in her gentle disposition, Reno couldn't possibly think of any other time where he felt like an ass hold than he did right then.

Taking a tentative step towards his older sister- his _protector_\- he cleared his throat and bashfully scratched the back of his neck with Maya's gentle gaze calmly settled upon him.

"Uh, hey?" Reno greeted. He took in the brightness of his sister's dark eyes and felt awestruck as he wondered how such dark eyes could hold so much hope.

She sure was something else.

"Hey you," she replied back softly, reaching out to place her hand on his forearm. Reno took a step closer to Maya and frowned slightly as he glared at his shoes.

"I'm sorry." Reno mumbled, making brief eye contact with the shorter Sinclair. "I was being a drunk ass last night…" he trailed off, not able to maintain eye contact with the gentle woman beside him. Maya sighed and pulled her baby brother into a hug, feeling humbled that he actually felt the need to apologise to her.

"Don't apologise for something that's not even your fault sweetie. I chose my path… please don't let my actions define yours." Maya spoke gently, but firmly as she held the seventeen year old in her arms. Reno sighed and squeezed Maya's shoulders in response to her words.

"I just… feel so _helpless_ knowing that you… that he…" Reno gulped, suddenly feeling his throat constrict in emotion. Noticing this, Maya held onto her baby brother longer and rocked back and forth- just as she used to when Reno was just a young boy.

"_Shhh_, it's okay. I'm okay now," Maya asserted gently, stroking Reno's back for a few moments before letting out a soft sigh and stepping away from the tall teen. Wiping some tears that had escaped her eyes during the whole exchange, Maya offered Reno a smile and a final pat on the shoulder before casting her eyes towards the squatting puppy.

Her eyebrows rose as she watched the young man lunge across the parking lot in what she could only identify as a SOLDIER endurance drill. The young man was already working up a sweat, even dressed in Reno's nicest casual apparel.

Reno turned his head and caught sight of Zack's antics, making his fists tremble with rage as he witnessed his favourite clothes become infected with Zack's sweaty essence.

Oh, he was going to kill the mutt.

* * *

Genesis smirked at his childhood best friend, taking in the muscled man's outfit of the day. Dressed in a tight-fitting, black muscle shirt and off-white dress pants, Genesis had to admit that Angeal pulled off the 'handsomely-rugged' look pretty well.

"I now know where my copies of _Fashion on 4 _have been disappearing to. You clean up pretty well, my friend." Genesis complimented airily as the two SOLDIERs made their way down the parking lot where the Sinclairs and Zack were already waiting. Olivia and Sephiroth had informed them that they'd go on ahead to their chosen brunch destination and reserve a table.

Genesis winced in sympathy as he recalled the way Olivia practically wrenched a guilty looking Sephiroth through Maya's front door by his wrist. The auburn SOLDIER's features slowly shifted into one of satisfaction as his devious side rejoiced the fact that Sephiroth was the epitome of 'whipped'.

Angeal glanced at the older man walking beside him and shook his head and the oddly satisfied look on his face.

"Thanks," Angeal acknowledged his best friend's comment before he flipped open his PHS to check the time. "By the way- what's with the smile? It's unsettling…"

This comment only served to fuel Genesis' creepy grin as he clapped Angeal firmly on the back in mirth.

"Nothing, 'Geal. I just came to the realisation that our young General's finally getting himself a dose of real romance. As much as I love to watch him suffer through social interaction… I think it's quite admirable that Olivia's taking the time to deal with his incompetence. I can't help but wonder how Hojo's going to take all of this though…" Genesis trailed off, deep in thought.

Angeal let out a soft sigh before nodding agreement just as the elevator opened its doors to reveal the parking lot. He couldn't help but smile as he caught Genesis' features soften at the sight of Maya Sinclair worriedly trying to hold a livid Reno Sinclair off a beaming Zack Fair.

"Seph's not the only one who's going through a bit of a change in his social sphere," Angeal commented in an off-handed manner as he pushed passed his baffled friend. Blinking rapidly, Genesis stared after his younger friend in momentary shock.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned.

Angeal chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, continuing to make his way towards the rowdy group standing near his sleek, black sedan.

Fishing the remote lock out of his pocket, Angeal unlocked his car and watched the two youngsters of the group fight for the front seat. Casting a glance over his shoulder, Angeal smiled at his oldest friend.

"Both nothing and everything- all at once. Now, I suggest you get a move on and snag one of the window seats in the back. Maya's riding shotgun."

Genesis glanced at Maya, Angeal and the car before he decided to keep his mouth shut and just do what Angeal said.

After all, he was a gentleman, and a gentleman always ensured the comfort of a lady.

The auburn haired SOLDIER caught another quick glimpse of a cutely exasperated Maya as she smiled apologetically at Angeal before edging towards the very seat the two boys were verbally arguing over.

"I'm _stronger_ than you!" Zack yelled, leaning forward and poking Reno on his chest.

"I'm _older_ than you!" Reno shot back, his eyes glaring daggers at the younger man.

"I'm _smarter_ than you!" the younger man argued passionately.

Quickly pulling the back seat's door open, Genesis rolled his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking in his loud, Commander voice.

"**Shut up, you imbeciles. Neither of you are riding in the passenger seat. Now get in here before I tote you both into the carrier!**" Genesis bellowed darkly before shooting the boys a final glare and slamming his car door shut.

Angeal nodded at Genesis in approval as Maya winced and shot Genesis a wobbly smile.

"Thanks Gen, I really couldn't be bothered getting involved in _that_," Angeal murmured as he started the engine. Maya nodded as she fiddled with a plain silver band that adorned her right hand's index finger.

"Though, I don't know if the imbecile comment was really necessary. You should apologise…" Maya trailed off, turning back to the front of the car. Genesis sighed and ran a hand through his soft locks just as Zack forcefully shove Reno into the back seat.

Meeting Genesis' unimpressed gaze, Reno's cheeks blazed red in embarrassment- almost rivalling his outrageous hair colour as he buckled himself in and mumbled something about 'damn freakish SOLDIER strength'.

Genesis chanced a glance at a rather smug looking Zack Fair as he buckled himself in and slapped the back of Angeal's seat obnoxiously.

"Alright-y 'Geal! Let's go have us some indulgent brunch!" Genesis couldn't help but roll his eyes as Maya clapped good naturedly from the front seat. Reno shot an exasperated look at Zack at his enthusiasm.

"Oi, you realise we have to pay for half of this 'brunch', dipshit?" Reno reminded Zack.

At this reminder, Zack visible deflated. Before he could say a word on the matter, Angeal quickly accelerated as he chuckled gleefully.

"Great, let's go have some food!" Angeal announced jovially as the exited the car park.

Despite the loud conversation and the cramped conditions of the back seat, Genesis came to the realisation that the car ride the five shared that particular late morning was probably the most pleasant car trip he'd had in a long time.

* * *

"I thought this order was for that fat guy in the booth? You know- the one who ordered all those sausages and syrup with his crepes?"

Hannah Villiers sighed softly in slight frustration as she tucked some stray strands of her long, golden hair back behind her ears. Adjusting her peach coloured visor, she took the tray of chocolate pancakes from the new employee's hands frowned disapprovingly at the young boy before her.

"Cloud, that's rude. We don't call people 'fat'. He's just 'round'. Also, I think we have another group of customers heading in. How about you go and greet them and give them the menus and stuff?" the kind waffle house owner suggested.

The young boy with the spiky blond hair and the doe-blue eyes nodded obediently before setting off towards the menu rack before diverting himself to the entrance of her new establishment. Shaking her head in slight amusement, the energetic manager quickly made her way to her patiently waiting customer with a smile on her face.

"Here's the double choc special you ordered, sir! Is there anything else I can get for you?" Hannah asked politely.

Just as she finished settling the customer into his food, Hannah's ears were met with the frantic sounds of Cloud's panicked apologies. Frowning, the golden haired beauty hurried her way towards the scene of chaos.

She couldn't help but gasp at what she saw.

The poor country boy was practically in tears as he desperately tried to press a napkin onto a very familiar looking General's lap. On the table lay an over-turned jug of water and a messy array of wet napkins. Hannah raised her gaze and found herself sharing a look of horrified amusement with a petite, pixie-like woman.

The two blonde women stared on silently as Cloud babbled on to the flustered Silver General.

"G-G-General S-Sephiroth… s-sir, I am s-so sorry! I didn't mean to spill water a-all over your d-divine p-p-presence!" Cloud stuttered as he dabbed at Sephiroth's leather pants.

"It is okay, young child. You may stop invading my personal space now." Sephiroth stated quietly, clearly shocked by how inappropriately attentive the young man was being.

"But I… I _ruined_ your perfection!" Cloud gasped. Dropping the napkin, he turned on his heel- only to come face to face with a horrified looking Hannah Villiers.

At the look on her face, Cloud's distressed features screwed up into a devastated expression.

"You're gonna fire me, aren't you? This is only my third day on the job. I don't have money… I won't have anywhere to go! How am I going to pay for cadet school now?" Cloud wailed loudly, completely unaware of the entry of five more spectators. Hannah couldn't help but smile fondly at the cute teenager crying openly in front of her.

He was still just a baby.

She wondered if he was even old enough to enrol in the ShinRa Cadet Program.

"What's going on here?" Hannah whirled around at the familiar voice and smiled happily as she caught sight of not one, but two familiar faces.

"Angeal! Genesis! I was wondering when you two big shots would take the time to come and visit my humble establishment!" Cloud's eyes widened even further as he began to wail even louder than before.

"_They're all here and I'm going to get fired in front of them!_" the young blond cried out, causing Olivia to shoot the young kid a sympathetic look. Sephiroth caught sight of Olivia's facial expression and raised his eyebrows at her. She merely shrugged and stood up from her seat, moving to rub the poor kid's back as he looked like he was having trouble breathing.

"He's a wreck Seph, say something nice." Olivia ordered softly as she approached Cloud. "_Aww_, don't worry little buddy- Sephiroth doesn't even mind! Do you, Seph?" Olivia asked sweetly as she cooed at the young man who was just a few centimetres taller than her. She couldn't help but sweep the kid into her arms, rocking him back and forth in an almost maternal embrace. Sephiroth scowled at this, but reluctantly agreed with Olivia for the sake of getting the boy to stop wailing like he'd just accidentally run the Silver General through with a butter knife.

"No, I do not mind having a little moisture on my person. It will keep me from dehydrating." Sephiroth offered, his voice in a monotone. Olivia shot her boyfriend a scathing look for his lack of sincerity and turned back to the young man in her arms. By now, he was only sniffling quietly, wiping his runny nose on the edge of his apron.

"Really? You mean that sir?" Cloud questioned, slowly moving off the petite blond woman who couldn't help but sigh at the young man's cuteness.

Sephiroth fought the urge to roll his eyes as Olivia glared daggers at him, silently willing him to say nice things to the boy.

"Yes cadet- at ease," Sephiroth figured that if Cloud was a fanboy of himself, he might as well act the role of the Silver General and let the young boy play out his fantasy before the cadet program ripped him to shreds. Anything to stop the boy from crying in front of him since it was both heart breaking and embarrassing all at the same time.

Cloud's clear blue eyes widened at Sephiroth's address and suddenly the Silver General found himself being blinded by a stellar, boyish grin full of glee that only a young boy of fourteen could produce.

Letting out a sigh, Sephiroth cringed as he patted the empty seat beside him, internally regretting what he was about to offer the young man.

"Here, join us for 'brunch'. Apparently, it's the best thing since the advent of the gun blade." Sephiroth muttered. Angeal and Genesis exchanged looked with each other as their young waiter literally squeaked before scrambling into the booth next to a sickly pleasant looking Sephiroth.

Genesis couldn't help but let out a rather unbecoming snort of amusement at the sight of Sephiroth's little fanboy practically _cuddling_ up to the Silver General.

"Oh, Goddess! _Please_ don't _ever_ let this day end!" Genesis breather theatrically, only to be softly hit on his arm by none other than Maya who was barely restraining her amusement at the situation.

"Stop it, he's just being nice. You should try it some time," Genesis raised his eyebrows at Maya's words, slightly shocked.

"Was that _sass_ I just heard?" Genesis asked incredulously. Maya grinned impishly, shrugging her shoulders as she walked towards their reserved booth, seating herself beside Olivia who was busy asking Cloud about his aspirations towards becoming SOLDIER.

"Maybe… come on now, we better order before Sephiroth hauls us out of here claiming that the time for brunch has passed." Genesis shook his head at Maya, disbelieving, as he followed the young woman who had suddenly begun to show a new, cheeky side of herself.

He found himself growing to admire every side of herself she revealed to him.

* * *

Zack stared in horror as Genesis Rhapsodos polished off his fourth plate of Dumb Apple and chocolate stacked pancakes. Leaning over towards an equally ill looking Reno, Zack sighed in defeat.

"I get that he has expensive tastes but did he _really_ have to order the most elaborate stack of pancakes this place had to offer?" the young SOLDIER questioned under his breath. Genesis rolled his eyes at the two young trouble makes sitting at their booth, hastily shoving the last chocolate covered dumb apple piece into his mouth with a satisfied growl.

Reno nodded as he took a sip of his cool water.

"Yeah, it's a wonder the guy's not as big as Palmer- the way he eats…" Genesis frowned at this statement, sitting up straighter in the booth. With a look of hurt on his face, he patted his stomach in regret.

"I do not indulge myself at every opportunity I find. It has been over four years since I've had Banoran pancakes," smiling slightly, Genesis turned his gaze to a rather fascinated looking Cloud Strife who had barely touched his stack of vanilla and maple pancakes. "Strife, was it?" Genesis asked in an off-handed manner, Cloud jumped up in his seat and nodded stiffly.

"Yessir!" Cloud offered a sloppy salute, causing Sephiroth to glance down at him and sigh in disappointment. Meanwhile, Olivia continued to pile extra bits of fruit into the younger male's plate, muttering about 'proper nutrition' and 'growing boys'. Genesis almost sneered at the young, misplaced waiter at their table. However, one reprimanding glance from Maya (who always seemed to know what he was about to cause havoc) had him suppressing the urge. Instead, he smiled amicably at the young man.

"Where is your manager? I would like to personally thank her _and_ catch up with her- we have a history after all," Genesis glanced at Maya from his peripherals and gladly noted that the chubby psychologist's lips turned down into a frown momentarily before she was preoccupied with fixing Reno's terrible table manners.

So even the psychologist was subject to the powers of jealousy.

Interesting.

Cloud frowned, placing his fork down before standing up and bowing to Sephiroth briefly before saluting Genesis.

"I shall go and find her, sir! I'll be right back, sir!"

And with that, the innocent, hardworking young man shot off towards the Manager's back office.

Genesis exchanged a look with an exasperated Sephiroth. Catching this exchange, Maya cleared her throat and smiled softly.

"He's eager- I think he'll do well in the cadet program." Olivia nodded along enthusiastically beside her friend.

"I agree! And he's so adorable! I can bet you that when he gets a little older and gets jacked up with mako and shit, he's going to be lookin' _fine_!" Olivia giggled as she nudged Maya who only blushed and stuttered about the 'inappropriate nature' of Olivia's statements.

All the men at the table merely watched the two women's interactions with raised eyebrows before exchanging glances with each other. Zack's eyes trailed over to the empty spot in the booth opposite him and frowned in confusion.

"Hey… guys? Where's Angeal?" At that moment, a rather red, flustered looking Cloud Strife appeared in front of their booth. Stuttering, the boy began speaking.

"U-um… Hannah's busy… _interacting_ with Commander Hewley. I'll… uh… let her know you wanted to t-talk to her once she's done." Cloud spoke quickly before he scrambled off in the direction of the counter, mumbling about getting them complimentary drinks and desserts.

At his departure, Sephiroth, Genesis, Zack and Reno all exchanged knowing glances amongst each other while Olivia and Maya blinked in dazed confusion.

"W-what just happened?" Maya piped up, leaning towards Olivia as if she could supply her with an answer. Olivia merely shrugged, glancing at a smirking Sephiroth.

"Seph, you wanna fill me in or what?"

Sephiroth smirked and shook his head, crossing his arms in front of his chest in contentment. Genesis chuckled as he caught Maya staring up at him with wide, dark and innocent eyes. Carefully wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Genesis shook his head.

"It's nothing bad- don't worry," pointing at the dessert menu board, Genesis squeezed her shoulders. "Pick a dessert, we'll share." Maya nodded, still confused, as she squinted to see the dessert menu board from her seated position.

Genesis couldn't help the soft smile that appear on his lips at the sight of Maya's cute ignorance.

At least she wasn't the prying type.

Meanwhile, Zack and Reno grinned lecherously as they processed what Cloud's words meant.

"Shit, that lucky dog! The manager's a _babe_!" Reno whispered. Zack nodded, tapping his heel against the tiled floor.

"So he's _not_ a complete saint! I _knew_ it! No man can be that chilled out unless he's getting some!" Zack declared with a smirk on his lips. Hearing this, Sephiroth chuckled.

"Is that why you are so restless, puppy? Because you're not 'getting any'?" Zack ceased all movement and gaped at the Silver General who was not casually staring at the dessert menu. Olivia giggled as she finally realised what was going on.

"Oh… _wow_!" Olivia cried out in disbelief. Maya's eyes widened as she turned to her friend.

"What is it?" Maya questioned softly. Olivia giggled again and shook her head as she covered her mouth with her hands.

"Don't worry about it! Angeal's just _catching up_ with Hannah. They're probably _really good friends_." Olivia snorted at this, turning to bury her face into Sephiroth's side as she freely laughed in amusement.

Maya frowned, shaking her head before looking down at her folded hands in her lap.

"Fine… don't tell me. I'll just ask Angeal about it later!"

Everyone's eyes widened at Maya declaration before they simultaneously yelled out: "NO!"

Taken aback, Maya was about to question their response to her statement before their young waiter stumbled their way over to their booth.

"Um, before I can give you the complimentary stuff, you need to pay for the meals." Looking around at the people sitting at the booth expectantly, Cloud's eyes led to Reno and Zack. Tilting his head innocently to the side, Cloud frowned adorably, eliciting a squeal from Olivia and a smile from Maya. "You guys don't have to pay for my food- so the total comes to 5692 gil."

Reno and Zack looked at each other in shock before raising their ShinRa savings cards in the air.

"That's going to be a problem buddy… Angeal said he'd pay half… and he's not 'available' right now AND we can't pay that amount of cash today and expect to pay our own living expenses for the fortnight on our rookie salary!" Zack complained. Cloud sighed and scratched the back of his head bashfully.

"Sorry sir, but Hannah would gut me if don't get a payment. It's expensive to get Banoran produce imported into Midgar! Plus, I earn _even less_ than you guys… cut me some slack!" Cloud argued. Sephiroth nodded in approval at the fierce glint in the young man's blue eyes. So he wasn't completely submissive.

He'd be a promising cadet after all.

Zack and Reno each glanced at the two SOLDIERs sitting in the booth with them. Genesis immediately shook his head and glared at the two young boys.

"I'm not paying a gil. I was promised a free-of-charge brunch and that is what I am going to get." Genesis stated simply before glancing down at Maya who seemed to be fidgeting with her wallet.

Sephiroth frowned at this and leaned over the table, plucking Maya's wallet from her hands, much to her surprise.

"Seph! You don't just take a woman's wallet!" Maya gasped. Olivia shook her head at her friend and patted her back.

"I would usually agree with you sweetie, but today I'm gonna have to side with Sephiroth. You're not going to help your ungrateful dolt of a brother out of this mess. Let him learn some responsibility!" Reno pouted, genuinely wounded by Olivia's comment.

"I _am_ grateful to my big sis!" Maya smiled sadly at Reno and shook her head.

"You said some pretty mean things to me last night. I think Olivia, Sephiroth and Genesis have a point. Angeal punished you boys for a good reason. Do the honourable thing and just pay up." Maya chided softly. Reno and Zack scoffed loudly at Maya's comment.

"_Do the honourable thing_? Really sis? Angeal's brought us here under the pretence of brunch to get an opportunity to screw the hot manager to heaven and back and you're telling us to do the _honourable_ thing?" Reno asked incredulously as Maya's eyes and mouth dropped wide open.

"Oh my…" the short brunette covered her mouth with her hand as Cloud coughed embarrassedly and the rest of the guys broke out into amused laughter at the reminder that their honourable SOLDIER First was off in the back room doing dishonourable deeds with the establishment's manager.

Oh, it was too ironic.

Reno sighed and nudged Zack, gesturing towards the counter.

"Let's just pay the damn bill and ask Angeal for our share of money back after he's done teaching Hannah about the 'honour of SOLDIER'." Zack nodded, grinning in amusement.

"Yeah, I guess we better pay before Maya's eyes fall out of their sockets," Zack chuckled.

Meanwhile, Maya gasped as she finally realised what was going on.

"He's having… _the sex_ with Hannah?" she spoke in a hushed whisper. Genesis and Olivia exchanged a highly amused glance between themselves as Sephiroth confirmed Maya's statement.

"Indeed, Angeal's engaging in the sex as we speak, I presume. It is quite the scandal." Maya nodded seriously, her head tilted in thought.

"Yes, yes! Especially as such promiscuity does not fit his assigned schema!" Maya whispered conspiratorially.

Olivia and Genesis stayed quiet, secretly enjoying Maya and Sephiroth's attempts at 'educated' gossip.

Just as Genesis was about to sling an arm around Maya, his PHS rang in a familiar ringtone.

Groaning in frustration, Genesis answered hastily.

"Yes?" he snapped, good mood instantly dissipated. Genesis heard a sigh on the other line.

"Commander Rhapsodos, you are required for an emergency meeting at the HQ. The situation in Wutai is unstable. I cannot disclose any further details on the phone. Make your way to HQ as soon as possible and we will talk there." Before the Crimson Commander could get a word in edgewise, the line was cut. Internally seething, Genesis took a deep breath and willed his palms to cool down as he felt the tell-tale signs of a fire spell beginning to form.

"Is… everything okay?" Genesis found his brow relaxing as he let Maya's constantly calm, quiet and soft voice wash over his sensitive senses. He nodded before glancing at Sephiroth.

"Duty calls. I'll leave Maya in your care, my friend." Genesis glanced down at a worried looking Maya and shook his head gently as he gently patted her shoulder. "Fear not, _nothing shall forestall my return_. I'll pay you and your darling brother a visit this evening after I've helped the incompetent plebs sort their problems out. Stay close to Sephiroth and don't wander into the slums again!" Maya nodded at Genesis' words before watching him whisk out of the eating establishment. Turning back to Sephiroth and Olivia, she raised her eyebrows at their smiling faces.

"Why are you two looking at me like that?" Maya murmured. Sephiroth shook his head and cleared his throat before speaking in a neutral tone.

"I wanted to protect you from his impulsive nature… but it seems that you are good for him. I am glad. He's at peace. A man who is constantly at war with himself and those around him needs to have someone to go home to at the end of each day. I'm glad that person's you." Maya gaped at Sephiroth, not knowing what to say when Olivia piped up from beside Sephiroth.

"Yeah, he's genuinely interested in keeping you safe and happy I think… otherwise you would have been defiled last night!" Olivia exclaimed, earning reprimanding glances from Sephiroth and Maya.

"You're terrible…" Maya trailed off, recalling the way Genesis wrapped his arm around her shoulders and literally cocooned her in his warmth in front of everyone. Fiddling with her fingers, Maya glanced between Sephiroth and Olivia and blushed slightly as she began to speak. "Do you think… he really cares about me?" the brunette asked, insecurity washing over her plump features. Olivia rolled her eyes and leaned forwards on the table.

"Babe, he's _crazy_ about you! In all seriousness, Genesis is a pretty scary guy. I won't lie- I don't know _how_ a guy like him managed to use his brain and figure out that you're the best girl ever, but he's one lucky dude to have the capacity to care about you so much. Because if he didn't… I would wreck that ass hole!" Sephiroth ran a hand over his face in embarrassment.

"Olivia, calm yourself," Sephiroth glanced at a softly smiling Maya and reciprocated her smile. "And Maya, Genesis cares for you… deeply. There will be times he will express himself aggressively _but_ he's a good man. He'll protect you."

Maya nodded and let her gaze drop back to her lap as she pondered over Olivia and Sephiroth's words.

'_He'll protect me. I'm safe._'

Maya smiled into her lap and nodded, feeling a new wave of strength ripple through her in the form of a phantom warmth.

She was ready to let go of her past demons.

Slowly, but surely, she'd go back to being that young, mischievous girl who loved to bake with her mother and wrestle with her younger brother and father.

Maya shook her head at this thought.

No… those were old memories. Tied to old pains.

She'd make new memories… with Genesis and her friend.

Raising her head, Maya smiled and nodded at the bemused looking couple sitting with her.

"I know. Thank you guys, really."

* * *

**Notes/fun facts:  
**Again, this chapter is not edited or proof-read or anything. I wrote this in around four hours (as I did end up having a writer's block- I blame all the academic writing I've been doing). So please do point out if the chapter's quality is lacking- I am willing to revise this chapter OR just work harder and longer on chapter 19 (which will admittedly come out in a month since my last exam is on the 27th of June LOL). So please do drop me a review or a PM with constructive criticism or just plain criticism xD I really do feel this chapter... is a little disjointed and lacking. Then again, I tend to dislike my writing rather irrationally at times :P

Until next time,

Turk 4 Life (Moosh) :D


	20. Chapter 20

**A.N: **_**Hey guys! So, another chapter for you guys because I needed a break before I got into studying for finals. Thanks for the supportive reviews :D They really brought a smile to my face! I shall reply to them after the 27th of June! But I read them and, really, they inspire me so much to produce more fun, interesting chapters for you guys! So… I couldn't help myself… I HAD to include certain characters that are NOT part of the FFVII universe (as I hinted at last chapter). It will alter the flow of the original story, hence why this is an AU! So yeah… hope you are all still interested in reading.**_

_**Also, I just want to warn you guys- the end of the chapter may be confronting BUT I feel it's necessary as this is how I want Genesis' 'condition' to manifest.**_

_**Occasional Disclaimer that holds for all chapters: I own NOTHING but my OCs Maya, Olivia and Hugh (ew… Hugh.)**_

_**On with the chapter!**_

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen-**

Hannah frowned at the sound of Angeal's exasperated sigh. It wasn't _her_ fault she'd tripped onto her childhood friend's lap just as Cloud barged into the room. Hannah tucked a stray strand of golden hair behind her ear and placed her hands on her hips as she regarded the mild tempered Commander with a look of appraisal.

"All I wanted to do was ask you about Gillian's special chocolate-apple brownies. I was _not_ trying to seduce you or anything. That would just be plain weird! I've known you since we were seven years old!" Hannah blurted out quickly, feeling her face heat up as she looked at anything but Angeal.

"Yes, I understand that. However, I'm afraid your inherent clumsiness has resulted in the little blonde boy seeing us in a rather compromising position," Angeal sighed again. "I am the centre of gossip in the ShinRa building. My students are always staring at me like I've deceived them. I speak of honour and they _scoff_ at me! This cannot continue, Ms. Villiers!" Angeal finished forcefully. Hannah raised an eyebrow at the handsome SOLDIER sitting in her small office and pushed herself off her chair.

"I'm _sorry_, okay? You know my clumsiness has _always_ been a problem! Can't you get Genesis to vouch for you? If he's anything like he was back in Banora, he can scare all those immature guys straight by transforming into a dictating diva." Hannah suggested, trying to be patient. She glanced at her wristwatch and found that it was almost time for the lunch time rush. Shooting Angeal an urgent glare, she cleared her throat distractedly. "Well, if we're done now, could you please leave me to get back to work? This place is not going to run itself, you know?" Angeal's eyes widened before he jumped out of his chair, his cheeks blushing a slight pink as he reached around the back of his head to scratch his neck.

"My apologies. I'll be back with my mother's recipe next Thursday—" Hannah frowned at this.

"What? That's, like, a whole _week_ away! What, does she not have a phone or something?" the golden haired manager grinned good humouredly. Angeal's face remained passive as he turned and began to make his way out of her office.

"She has a phone. She just likes to write to me. Plus, I have things to do as well. I can't just keep taking time off work to chat with you, Hannah." Angeal reprimanded lightly. Hannah rolled her eyes and coughed obnoxiously at the muscled man's tone.

"Oh, _excuse me_, Mr. SOLDIER man! It's not like I send you invitations to come and see me here! As a matter of fact, I believe you came here on your own accord!" Hannah retorted, her voice nearly reaching a hysterical shriek. Angeal frowned, his ears ringing from her yelling.

"Calm yourself. Cloud will think we're having a spat," Angeal smirked as Hannah's face grew an impossible shade of red.

She was still so easy to get riled up. She hadn't changed one bit.

"_Angeal Hewley, __**get out**_!"

Angeal grinned and shook his head before strolling out of Hannah's office.

Catching sight of a rather flustered looking Cloud Strife, Angeal nodded good naturedly at him, earning a squeak and clumsy salute in return. In the process, the poor boy managed to drop the tray of milkshakes he was holding onto the floor in a loud clatter.

At this sound, Hannah rushed out of her office. Seeing the source of the commotion, the deceptively sweet looking blonde growled before hurling the pen she conveniently held in her grasp at the two men standing amongst the new mess.

"ANGEAL HEWLEY, GET **OUT **_**NOW**_! AND CLOUD, GET YOUR ASS INTO THE UTILITY CLOSET AND CLEAN YOUR MESS! Goddess, men are so… _ugh_!" Hannah trembled in pent up raged as she watched Cloud shoot a nervous look at Angeal, who merely shrugged at the young boy, before the two men followed her hysterical orders.

It was just another normal day as manager of her fine casual dining establishment.

* * *

Cissnei smirked at Reno as he clutched at his growling stomach in discomfort. Noticing his same-aged comrade's amusement, Reno scowled and hurled his stapler in her direction. The projectile stationery impacted on the wall beside Cissnei's head with a loud clutter, earning Reno a frown from the copper-haired Turk.

"It's not my fault you spent all your money on pancakes this weekend. But seriously, where was _my_ invite?" Cissnei casually spoke, turning back to her small pile of paper work. From her peripherals, she eyed Reno's tilting stack of papers laying untouched on his desk and sighed quietly. They'd both been promoted into the Turks around the same time, yet she could never really understand _why_ he'd been commissioned as a Turk so early. He clearly did not have the work ethic. However, she was yet to see him carry out a practical mission. From all the simulation data she'd snuck a look at, Reno's marks were sky high.

It was like he was the perfect assassin.

Cissnei turned her gaze back to a pathetically moaning Renaldo Caleb Sinclair and shook her head in disbelief.

The system _had _to be rigged.

There was _no_ way Reno was as good as the simulation data suggested he was.

He seemed much too harmless.

"Yo, Gaia to Cissnei. Are you even listenin' to me?" Cissnei blinked as she made eye-contact with Reno's aquamarine eyes and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Not really. But you caught my attention now. You have approximately ten seconds to say something interesting before I go back to finishing my paper work." Reno frowned at Cissnei's casual dismissal of his antics before opening his mouth to speak.

"So… remember that time I helped you hand in that Defensive Materia Report during our training period? I figured that you must be feeling morally unbalanced right now because you still haven't had the opportunity to pay me back! Am I right?"

"No. Not at all." Cissnei replied back in a deadpan. Ignoring this, Reno continued his speech enthusiastically.

"Thought so! With that in mind, I decided to be a gentleman and let you treat me to lunch for a fortnight! Isn't that great?" Reno ended, his happy tone forcing Cissnei to adopt an amused look on her face. Turning to her red-aired colleague, Cissnei crossed her arms in front of herself.

"First of all; you tried to hand _my_ assignment in as _your own_. The only reason that didn't work out for you was because Veld could tell the difference between our writing styles. That and my essay was _way_ above your literacy standard," Reno opened his mouth to protest Cissnei's words, his face holding an indignant expression. However, Cissnei continued speaking before he got an opportunity to cut in. "Secondly, if you wanted me to shout you lunch, you could have just asked me like a normal person. I wouldn't have said no…" Cissnei trailed off, rolling her eyes as Reno shot her an adoring smile.

"Oh Ciss, you really _do_ care about me!"

"Shut up Reno. Let's go get some food."

* * *

Zack shoved a spoonful of rice into his mouth and squinted across the cafeteria at the table Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth were seated at. Kunsel smirked beside Zack, casting has gaze between the Golden Trio and Luxiere who sat opposite both Zack and himself.

Although Zack was surprised with Angeal's latest promiscuity scare, he couldn't help but adore his mentor equally as much since the soft-hearted burly man forked out some cash from his own pocket and encouraged him to get a bite to eat.

"It's kind of hilarious… this whole situation. You know, his woman's name is apparently 'Hannah Villiers'. She's got a twin brother called 'Snow Villiers'. They moved to Banora when they were five years old to live with their grandparents when their parents died in a freak monster attack in Midgar, back when ShinRa's military was basically the Midgar Security Department." Kunsel supplied before stabbing his pasta rather aggressively and bringing it to his mouth in an elegant manner. Luxiere and Zack slowly turned to their friend, mouths agape in both awe and disturbance.

"Bro, _how_ do you even know that stuff?" Luxiere asked, his tone full of discomfort. Kunsel shrugged and winked playfully.

"Secret." He replied mysteriously before bringing more pasta to his mouth. Chewing thoroughly, he reached for his water bottle and took a swig before clearing his throat. "That's not all though. Her twin brother's apparently married to Farron's babe of a sister, Serah. Snow and Serah apparently met when Snow came back to Midgar to start some kind of 'Stop the Poverty' movement in the slums." Zack's eyes widened at the same of the Security Department's female leader.

"Wait… Farron? As in… Lieutenant _Lightning_ Farron?!" Zack stuttered, pointlessly clarifying Kunsel's words. The all-knowing Second Class nodded in affirmation.

"Yup. Lieutenant _Nightmare_, more like it. I can understand your fear, she was brutal during our cadet training, huh?" Kunsel sympathised before turning back to his pasta. Zack nodded and cast a glance towards Luxiere, who seemed to have thrown down his salad sandwich, losing his appetite.

"Shit, it was like she was trying to get our souls to leave our bodies. I'd never run so hard in my life after she threatened to castrate us all with her gun blade if we didn't pass the SOLDIER exams on the first go." Luxiere commented shakily. Zack nodded in agreement before patting his contently full stomach with a grin on his face.

"Yeah, Angeal's _way_ more laid back than she could ever manage to be. I'm feeling pretty damn grateful I'm receiving moral punishments from him right now, to be honest," Zack trailed off, shooting a sheepish look at an innocent Angeal chuckling at a frowning Genesis alongside an amused Sephiroth. "He gave me money for food. His mother definitely knew what she was doing when she named him Angeal, seriously!" Zack exclaimed before pushing his tray away from himself. Kunsel smirked and pushed his own half-finished tray away from his person and clasped his gloved hands together in front of himself.

"I heard Farron's cousin, from way out in some backwater country town, is joining the cadet program. His name's Cloud Strife." Zack sat up straight at the mention of the blonde waiter. Before he could open his mouth, Kunsel calmly continued his gossip. "He's working as a waiter in Hannah's pancake house to pay for cadet school." Zack grinned mischievously and nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, he spilt water all over the General's pants. I felt bad for the kid when he literally reached down and started to pat the Silver General down dry with a napkin. Like, _damn_, kid's got balls." Zack finished, feeling more and more impressed with the blubbering blonde he'd met that passed weekend.

"Kunsel… you're freakin' creepy man. How the heck do you even _know_ all this?" Luxiere demanded frantically, his eyes skittering back and forth between Zack and Kunsel in suspicion. Kunsel stared at his fellow Second Class SOLDIER before blinking his brilliant coloured eyes before shrugging and promptly shoving his standard issue helmet on his head.

"As I said before, it's a secret! Anyways, story time's over. I'm off to supervise an exam- I still can't believe they changed the Summons Theory test into a multiple choice test. I reckon it's much more worthwhile to have it as short answer. They grunts will definitely get more out of the learning experience…" Zack and Luxiere blinked up at their friend blankly before Kunsel just shook his head and waved at the two and calmly walked out of the cafeteria.

Once Kunsel was out of earshot, Luxiere turned to Zack with a scandalous expression on his face. Perking up, Zack raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Okay, spill. What do you know?" Zack asked, his tone excited. He bounced in his seat as Luxiere grinned at his hyper active friend.

"Well, word has it that Kunsel's got the hots for a Turk. He's been in regular contact with her and she's got ears _everywhere_. They probably exchange information with each other during their pseudo-dates or something. There's no way Kunsel could know so much about all these people. I admit he's got a knack for gathering intelligence, but even he's not that great. I can bet you it's that cute, copper haired chick who recently got promoted from their trainee program." Zack nodded before furrowing his brows in contemplation.

"So, where are Zack nodded before furrowing his brows in contemplation.

"So, where are YOU getting your information?" Zack asked suspiciously. Luxiere rolled his eyes and gestured to the side of his head with his index finger.

"You guys give me too little credit. Just because I don't blurt out everything I know at all possible times doesn't mean I'm useless!" Zack broke into an apologetic smile as he scratched the back of his head bashfully.

"Ah, sorry man. But wow, that's pretty interesting." Zack pushed himself out of his seat before stretching and flashing a friendly smile at his friend who also stood up with him. "If you're free, we could go to the Training Room and carve some digital nasties up while we discuss this some more?" Zack offered. Luxiere smirked and nodded, falling into step beside Zack, who had already started making his way towards the exit of the cafeteria.

"Sounds good. It's been a while since I've trained with you." Zack grinned at his friend's words.

"Yeah, I don't mean to brag but, I'm fighting Class A simulations now." Luxiere shot Zack an impressed look before composing his features into a blank stare.

"Ass hole."

* * *

Maya let out a shaky sigh before sinking into her office chair. According to Sephiroth's most recent email to her, the matters regarding her uninformed absence had been overlooked by the company and the Science Department. However, Hojo did require her to carry out a rather disturbing psychological experiment that had ties to the Jenova Project.

Maya didn't have much knowledge on the specifics of the Jenova Project- but she knew that the creature itself was infinitely creepy. The short brunette shook her head and let out another sigh as she buried her chin into the cupped palms of her hands. She hadn't yet been called in for a briefing with Professor Hojo, so she didn't know where she was supposed to begin.

Collecting herself, Maya quickly decided she'd do a quick literature review on the area of research. Dr. Maya Sinclair looked down at the research question she had neatly scrawled onto a cute piece of stationery and let out a shudder of dread.

_What are the effects of Jenova Cells on the level of obedience observed in chocobo hatchlings?_

As if on cue, the door of her shared office opened abruptly, revealing the silhouette of none other than Genesis Rhapsodos carrying a decently sized cage full of softly warbling chicabos.

Maya offered Genesis and small smile and scrambled towards the bewildered man, gently prying the cage out of his grip. Carefully placing them onto the floor of her side of the office, Maya turned back to Genesis and tilted her head in question.

"Hello Commander Rhapsodos- is anything the matter?" she inquired pleasantly, still unable to hide the nervous hitch in her voice as she addressed him. Genesis shook his head, a slightly bewildered look taking over his aristocratic features.

"You're back already? I would have assumed the company could afford to let you have two more days off, seeing that it is already Thursday." Genesis spoke gently as he quickly regained control of his body from the pleasant shock it experienced from seeing the familiar sight of Maya sitting at her desk. Fighting off a smile, Genesis leaned against his desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest before nodding at the caged chicabos with raised eyebrows. "I was asked to bring these to you by a pathetic excuse of a man. He said he was the head of ShinRa's _Chocobo Breeding Colony_, and then he promptly shoved the cage into my arms before I could hurl a Firaga at him for his insolence." Genesis recounted rather calmly. Maya winced and offered an apologetic grin.

"Ah, Clasko? He's a nice man. He has some self-esteem issues, so be nice…" Maya trailed off, not entirely sure about how to tell the auburn SOLDIER about her rather _disturbing_ new experiment. As a professional psychologist, Maya was thrilled to be working on such ground breaking research. However, as a woman with a strong moral compass, Maya wasn't too sure if her idea of morals and ethics aligned with those of the genius who tasked her with such an undertaking.

Noticing Maya's hesitation, Genesis cleared his throat and stood up straight before making his way to his chair. Before seating himself, he spoke up in a confident voice.

"The Wutai Campaign is suffering. I've been assigned to command all operations concerning friendly troops engaged in the campaign. If the situation deteriorates further, I may be deployed within a month."

Maya's nodded quietly, taking in her office mate's words.

"That's great. I'm proud of you. I think… you'll do really well Commander." Maya replied, subdued as she stared aimlessly at the cage of chirping chicabos. Genesis let out a huff of air through his nose and nodded sharply.

"Thank you." Genesis' sharp tone broke Maya out of her reverie. Turning to face the hot-tempered man, Maya frowned and sat up straight in her chair.

"What's wrong? Did I say something to upset you?" the chubby psychologist asked, her eyes wide with emotion. Genesis took one look into her deep brown depths and sighed, his exponentially rising temper immediately quashed.

"No, I was just expecting a more… _enthused_ response. Sephiroth and Angeal were predicting your response to my news today at lunch and it seems that they know you better than I could ever hope to," Genesis finished, his voice taking on the traits of a rather jealous partner. Maya recoiled backwards in her seat at Genesis' words.

She couldn't even begin to imagine what Genesis had expected her to do when he'd broken the news of his imminent deployment to her.

Of course she felt a pang of worry as loneliness hit her as he informed her. She had, after all, grown quite close to her past-attacker. However, she was never one to publically display her emotions- feelings of anxiety being an exception of course- so she couldn't possibly give Genesis the dramatic response he obviously desired.

"Commander…" Maya began, only to be cut off by a rather cynical laugh from the auburn Commander.

"Can't you just say my fucking name?" Genesis spat out harshly, his temper rising unexpectedly once again. His head throbbed terribly as he glared at Maya through squinted eyes. Maya flinched backwards at Genesis' harsh words and fought off a whimper that got stuck in her throat. Seeing Maya's frightened appearance, Genesis desperately tried to ward off his irrational temper, but couldn't quite manage it as he picked up a paper weight from his desk and hurled it at the wall just above Maya's head. This time, Maya couldn't help but let out a horrified squeak as the paper weight made impact with the wall.

Gathering her courage, Maya stood and slammed her trembling fists onto her desk, willing herself to glare at the positively murderous looking Genesis Rhapsodos in front of her.

"_What is __wrong__ with __you_? W-we're in the w-w-work place! How c-can you just c-c-conduct yourself i-in such a manner? In this office, we have the responsibility t-to adhere to strict professional protocol. I'm in enough t-trouble as it is. I d-don't need Hojo catching me in the arms of my office mate!" Maya stuttered quietly, but forcefully. Genesis scowled, abruptly standing from his seat. He proceeded to menacingly stalk towards Maya in a predatory fashion, his eyes glaring into Maya's wide, brown orbs. Maya stood behind her desk, absolutely petrified.

"It wouldn't come as a surprise, knowing your history." Maya's eyes watered as the hurt of his comment sunk into her heart. She stared into Genesis' eyes and noticed that his pupils were dilated and the whites of his eyes were blood shot. His teeth were clenched right and his jugular pulsed in agitation.

There was something terribly wrong with Genesis.

Maya tried to take a deep breath and calm herself to appropriately deal with an emotionally fragile Genesis. However, pretences of any type of professional lucidity were lost on the young psychologist when Genesis gripped her upper arm tightly and forcefully wrenched her towards him with a leer in his eyes.

"I bet you're really enjoying this kind of treatment right now," Genesis smirked as he held Maya in a rather forced embrace. Maya refused to fight him, fearing she might encourage him to exhibit violence. Instead, she forced herself to maintain eye-contact with the powerful man who held her prisoner. She tried to block out his harsh words, but he struck a nerve with his next comment. "You _wanted_ your uncle to touch you. You filthy liar… you're nothing but a slum whore playing hard to get." Genesis hissed into Maya's ear.

Maya couldn't hold in her hurt whimper as tears cascaded down her face.

"Genesis, stop… you're hurting me." Maya spoke thickly. Genesis shook his head and groaned at the sight of the upset woman's tears.

Gaining control of his rational thinking ability, Genesis managed to comply with her order, quickly turning and kneeling down on the floor on his knees. Facing away from Maya, he shut his eyes in pain as he fought the piercing pain he was experiencing right in the front of his head.

Bringing his hands up, Genesis squeezed his head tightly, letting out pained groans from time to time. This was no ordinary headache. Something was happening to him.

Maya hiccupped and watched Genesis' crouched form with a mixture of worry and fear.

Swallowing her anxiety, the psychologist in her decided to reach out to Genesis. Placing a trembling hand on the Crimson Commander's equally trembling shoulder, Maya breathed in shakily before speaking.

"H-how long… has this been happening?"

Genesis sighed and shrugged weakly.

"It's never been this bad. Started a little bit before I met you. I've always been known for my temper but… I never actively sought to _hurt_ anyone." Genesis frowned to himself as he felt his vision blur. Shaking his head, he took comfort in the warmth provided by Maya's surprisingly reassuring grip on his shoulder.

Maya blinked away her own tears as she looked down at the crown of Genesis' head in pity. Her eyes widened as she spied a single strange of snow-white hair amongst his luscious auburn locks.

Strange…

"It's okay. Whatever it is, I will try to help you through it." Genesis let out a weak chuckle, refusing to rise from his spot.

"You act as if I didn't just say all those disgusting things to you about your past." Maya sighed, her breath hitching as she began to run her fingers through Genesis' hair in a soothing gesture.

"You couldn't control it. I can't hold it against you." Maya replied quietly.

Genesis sighed and dropped his head further, hiding his tears from the woman he considered to be one of the strongest human beings he's ever met.

"_Your desire is the bringer of life. The Gift of the Goddess_," Genesis whispered to himself. However, Maya didn't require SOLDIER enhanced hearing to perceive and encode the true intentions of his words.

"It's okay. Any time you need me… I'll be here. I do care Genesis. I really do." Genesis nodded, not able to hide the watery quality of his voice as he replied back, feeling as if he was truly losing control of himself for the first time in his life.

"I know. I'm sorry." The once proud Commander whispered hoarsely. Maya sighed and kneeled beside Genesis, pushing aside her fear at the sight of her broken Commander. Wrapping her arms as best as she could around the usually strong man, she proceeded to rock him back and forth in an attempt to comfort him.

She didn't have to tell him.

That was when he knew she really did care- despite _everything_ he'd done.

She really was precious, and he'd do his best to keep the evils of the world from doing her harm- even if that meant he could never bask in her comforting ways ever again.

He was willing to sacrifice the Gift of the Goddess for her.

Only for her.

* * *

**Note/fun facts:  
**This chapter is relatively short, but due to Womble's cute attempt at getting me to write more before exams (LOL, appealing to my scientific side- that was a cheap shot, dear friend xD a Chinese study about fanfiction writing HAHAHA I wish man!) I churned this one out. Again, no proof reading, no real thought about anything except for adding in events that are going to tie into my big plan for all these characters. Hope you guys are all enjoying and thanks again for the lovely reviews, favourites, follows and views! As long as I see the view count increase on this fic, I'll continue posting! Jks jks, I'm so far into this fic now that even if people stop reviewing, I'll keep updating this gradually because it's such an interesting and fun story to write. I literally have no formal plans for this fic so it's really evolving into a rather convoluted epic BAHAHHAHA!


	21. Chapter 21

**A.N:_ I'm about to head off to the gym so I'll keep this short. I wrote half of this chapter before exam period, and half of it today so... if it's a little disjointed, please do let me know LOL! Sorry for the long wait and I'll be attempting to reply to reviews tonight (so in a few hours LOL). Hope you've all been well and thank you Womble619 and Keep Calm and be Ninja for the continued support! :)_**

**_Enjoy the new update! :) We're finally getting into all the drama LOL_**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-**

Sephiroth willed his facial features to remain impartial as he looked over the rag-tag group of new recruits standing before him. It was just like Lazard to impart the responsibility of giving the induction speech to the new 'hopefuls'. Apparently, the young, snot nosed kids full of unattainable dreams and impossible goals would be _inspired_ by his very presence. Sephiroth would have snorted in amusement if he didn't have an image to uphold.

Beside him, Olivia fidgeted with her organiser and giggled as she spotted their blond waiter from the pancake house from their venture there almost two weeks ago. Olivia wiggled her fingers in a girlish wave, Sephiroth couldn't help but frown as the blond recruit averted his impossibly clear, blue gaze in favour of looking at his shoes.

Sephiroth could not even begin to fathom why Olivia had developed such a fixation on the blond soon-to-be cadet.

It wasn't like he was anything special.

Clearing his throat, Sephiroth couldn't help but feel satisfied when all the new recruits immediately ceased their chatter. His feeling of satisfaction grew further as he spied Cloud Strife out of the corner of his gaze, standing rigidly towards the back of the crowd. Feeling a sharp stinging pain on his arm, Sephiroth spared a glance at Olivia, who frowned disapprovingly at Sephiroth before she stepped backwards and opened up her planner, her pen at the ready to jot down important notes on the briefing to be had. Sephiroth sighed and fought the urge to childishly roll his eyes as he stood confidently in front of the new recruits, as if he wasn't just reprimanded for playing psychological mind games with a timid recruit.

"You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honour." Sephiroth spoke with clarity, his assured baritone causing the young men and women in front of him to involuntarily shiver. "With that said, it is my… _pleasure_, to welcome you to ShinRa's much coveted SOLDIER transitionary program. Many of you may be very far from home, but I assure you, there's _no_ turning back after you sign in and receive your room assignments. This program is challenging, and there may be times you want to desert and quit your training. I will say this now- _I don't regard quitters very highly_. You have the remaining twenty seven minutes of the introductory talk to make a final decision on your intentions to join this program. Good luck." Sephiroth made sure to level his intimidating stare at the new, scared recruits before he spun on his heel and calmly moved away from the silent crowd.

Olivia could only gape after her Ssilver enigma before she opened her mouth to speak incredulously.

"H-hey! You're supposed to _encourage_ them! General Sephiroth!" Olivia called out, exasperated, before she shot an apologetic smile at the young men and women in front of her and ran after a rather smug looking Sephiroth.

She should have known he was going to be as unconventional as ever.

* * *

Cissnei levelled a suspicious look at Kunsel before letting her gaze pass over the couple who stood a few paces behind the Second Class SOLDIER. A rather huge looking man with shaggy blond hair and mischievous blue eyes stood beside a petite young woman with girlish features and a kind, genuine smile. Though the two were mismatched, they looked normal enough. Gaze falling back onto Kunsel, Cissnei placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head in a questioning manner.

"Snow Villiers and Serah Farron Villiers. I presume?" Cissnei clarified. Kunsel nodded, grasping his helmet in his hands.

"Yeah, they came to see Cloud's induction. Taking a few family pictures to send back to their aunt Eira," Kunsel turned towards the enthused couple and winked back at them in a playful manner, "am I right?"

"That's right! Cloud may seem small and fragile, but that's just because of the Nibelheim climate. He's a tough cookie, I promise!" Snow cried enthusiastically. Cissnei winced and nodded as she brought a hand up to rub at her sore temples. Seeing this, Serah frowned and lightly slapped Snow's back in reprimand.

"Keep your voice down- we're indoors!" Snow _pouted_ before nodding and crossing his arms, a petulant look on his facial features. Not too sure about how she was supposed to react to the huge man's mismatching personality, Cissnei turned her attentions back to Kunsel.

"That's all well and good but… they're not cleared for access to floors above Level Five." Cissnei reminded Kunsel, briefly gesturing at the employees milling around with their lunches. Kunsel grinned and nodded before waving Serah towards him.

"Yeah, don't worry about that. Serah's got a pass from Lieutenant Farron- valid for the both of them," Kunsel gestured at Snow with a dismissive wave. "They've been given full access to any floor between the Parking Levels and the Employee Lounge. Chill Cissnei," Kunsel added in a soft voice. Cissnei rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the small smile that stretched across her lips. Shaking her head, Cissnei shrugged and pointed at a free table nearby.

"Fair enough. How about you guys take a seat while I fetch us something to drink and nibble on. It will be nice to sit and just… talk to people about something other than work." Cissnei took a quick glance at Snow, who was innocently playing 'tug-on-my-wife's-ponytail' while Serah was taking in her environment with wide eyes. Kunsel walked towards Cissnei, a friendly smile plastered on his face.

"Yeah, sounds good! I'll help you bring the goods. Don't go wandering off without us, guys!" Kunsel spoke cheerily as he steered Cissnei away from them- not even waiting for an answer. Slightly confused, Cissnei had the sense to wait until they were both out of view and ear-shot before she rounded on Kunsel.

"_How_ did you-?" Cissnei began before she shook her head quickly and glared into Kunsel's brilliantly coloured eyes. "Do you_know_ who that is? That's Snow Villiers… that's the guy we're _tracking_. You may have potentially ruined our operation to take them down!" Cissnei whispered harshly. Kunsel stared at Cissnei blankly before letting out a sigh.

"Ciss… they're not AVALANCHE." Cissnei's eyes widened at Kunsel's words.

"You're not even supposed to _know_ about AVALANCHE! What's your deal, Kunsel?" Cissnei glared at the tall, handsome SOLDIER before her and fought down a blush as she belatedly realised just how close they were to each other. Kunsel smiled down gently at the short, copper haired young lady and shrugged.

"It's a secret. All you have to know is that I'm trying to help you out here. Snow's got _no idea_ his faction's being tracked. He's not exactly the brightest crayon in the box, per se. He's got a lot of hot-blooded youth following his movement but they have no plan. This guy's very 'fight first-think later'- he's not an immediate threat to ShinRa, but since tracking the 'Slum Dogs' is your very first intelligence mission, I figured you'd like to do well. So… I just did what I could to help you along. If we can manage to get him into trouble in the Security Department today… Farron's apparently got it out for her brother-in-law… you won't even have to interrogate him! Apparently, Farron's tolerant of Snow's actions, as long as he doesn't bring himself to her direct attention while she's on duty," Cissnei's eyes widened in both mirth and surprise as she caught on to Kunsel's ingenious plan.

"So we deceive and bait him. Then we lure Farron and then observe and take notes on _her_ interrogation. That's _genius_ Kunsel!" Before Cissnei could stop herself, she threw her arms around Kunsel and hugged him tight. Kunsel smirked and cleared his throat, causing Cissnei and flounder a little as she stepped backwards and tucked and errant strand of hair behind her ear, shyly avoiding Kunsel's gaze.

"You're welcome. I feel a little bad for Serah, since she's actually done nothing wrong except marry an extremist. Either way- we'd better get back to them before Serah realised what's going on." Cissnei cocked an eyebrow at Kunsel's indirect insult to Snow's intelligence.

"I'd laugh if Snow actually ended up being a criminal mastermind." Cissnei quipped as she quickly grabbed a few packed snacks and bottles of vitamin water for the four of them. Kunsel reached around Cissnei to grab a packet of snacks. Cissnei couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by Kunsel's pleasant aroma. She couldn't quite put her finger on what he actually smelt like, but she knew that it was _very nice_. Letting her gaze trail back to Kunsel's face, she noticed a rather cheeky looking smile on his face. The copper haired Turk tilted her head in silent curiosity as Kunsel sniggered.

"Snow loves spicy Cheese Moogle crisps. It will help us win him over." Cissnei nodded, smiling to herself before making her way to the counter and paying for their goods. As the man behind the counter finally bagged their purchase, Cissnei turned to Kunsel and nodded with purpose.

"Okay. The mission commences now. Be discreet, SOLDIER Harringer." Kunsel nodded, amusement in his colourful eyes.

"Yes, Cissnei of the Turks. Let's get Snow into trouble!"

* * *

Genesis sat at his desk and stared intently at his PC screen with a small frown on his face. His glowing, teal eyes crossed tensely across the bright screen as he read the final words of the email Lazard had forwarded to all military personnel in the ShinRa forces.

_There is no feeling sweeter than sacrificing one's life for their motherland._

The Crimson Commander scoffed and averted his eyes from the screen, suddenly finding it to be much too bright. His gaze landed on a serious looking Maya Sinclair as she fervently scribbled down notes in a small, green notebook. She'd look up from her notebook every once in a while to squint at her computer screen before a look of understanding crossed her features. She would then turn back to her notebook and resume scrawling down her notes on whatever she was working on.

Though Genesis was curious, he didn't want to force Maya to tell him what she was up to. This was her job- he didn't have to know what she was doing. Since Hojo was the one who tasked her on this particular research project, the auburn haired SOLDIER wasn't sure he even _wanted_ to know what his innocent Maya was compelled to research.

Surely, it was going to be something gruesome and terrible.

Genesis' mind wandered off on a tangent as he thought about the chocobo chicks he'd brought in for Maya before his melt-down.

He felt sorry for them.

Deciding that he needed to be productive in his time of good health, Genesis sighed softly and turned back to his paper work. There wasn't much left and he was feeling a little peckish…

The Crimson Commander chanced a glance at Maya and smiled as he noticed her brows furrow in slight confusion. Whatever it was she was reading, it was not fairy tale- that was certain.

"I am almost finished with my paper work. How about we head off and grab a bite to eat in twenty minutes, my dear? You need a break," Genesis suggested, his voice soft and gentle. Maya jumped at the sudden sound of his voice and looked up, her eyes wide in shock before she blinked and tilted her head at Genesis in confusion.

"W-w-what time is it?" Genesis frowned at Maya's stutter, but quickly offered the brunette an answer.

"It's close to two thirty in the afternoon. It seems we have worked right through lunch," Genesis smiled. Maya nodded after regarding Genesis with a wary eye.

"Okay… just let me know when you're done. We can go for a walk or something too- I definitely need the exercise to clear my head." Maya mumbled softly before turning back to her work.

Genesis couldn't help but grin at his paper work as he sorted and signed through the pile at a fast pace.

He wasn't too certain but… Maya's proposition certainly sounded a lot like a date.

The Crimson Commander held in a laugh of relief as he realised that Maya didn't hate him. After all, if his recent attack on her has spooked her, she would have never asked to spend the afternoon with him dining and strolling in the cool evening air.

Genesis could only hope that his mystery illness didn't flair up during their time together.

* * *

Reno smirked as he glanced over his shoulder at Tseng, who was having trouble exiting the dilapidated church in the slums. The source of his trouble was none other than their long-time 'target'- Aerith Gainsborough. The young flower girl was clutching onto Tseng's sleeve with desperation in her forest green eyes. It was both a funny and pitiful sight to see.

"But you _said_!" Aerith protested stubbornly, her soft voice doing nothing to intimidate the Second-in-Command of the Department of Administrative Research. Tseng sighed tiredly and gently pried Aerith's dirty fingers from his uniform, looking distastefully at the dirt that marred his impeccable uniform.

"I don't see any reason for you to have a Chocobo Lure- there are no chocobos in Midgar." Tseng spoke calmly as he attempted to dust off his sleeves. The dirt clung on stubbornly, as if providing divine punishment for his reluctance to sway to the Cetra's whims.

"That's not the point!" Aerith cried out in exasperation, trying to wipe her dirty hands onto the skirt of her dress. "It looked so pretty in the Wall Street Market-" Tseng turned his sharp gaze to Aerith and frowned.

"When did you go to Wall Street? Did you go by yourself? It's dangerous, Aerith- you shouldn't just go wandering off without telling anyone…" Tseng trailed off as Aerith's lips turned upward in amusement. Reno smirked at his superior's obviously affectionate and protective actions towards the Cetra.

He was too attached to the target.

Which was funny because Tseng was as professional as they came. Yet here he was, attending to some slum girl like an older sibling.

Reno's smirk dropped a little as he realised Maya _still_ fawned over him the exact same way.

Scratching the back of his head, Reno turned off that train of thought. He was on a job- he couldn't afford to get sentimental. Not now- he'd wait till he got back home before glomping his favourite girl on Gaia in gratefulness.

In the meantime, Reno turned his attention back to Aerith and Tseng.

"- with Clarissa. She took me on a 'shopping spree' after I told her I've never been on one, the day before yesterday. She even got mum and I pastries and some potatoes! They were so delicious!" Aerith clapped her hands together in delight as she spoke, directly looking into Tseng's stoic gaze with her eyes squinted slightly in happiness.

Tseng sighed, letting up his stiff demeanour, and smiled as he reached out to pet Aerith's head in acknowledgement of her joy. He'd have to have a word with Clarissa about her less than detailed account of her watch- but for now he was happy his Turks were doing everything they could to enrich Aerith's life in the best way they possibly could. Plus, it was only a matter of time until the Turks' resident 'shopaholic' decided to take Aerith out to spend some cash.

"As long as someone was with you. I'm glad you had fun-" before Tseng could move on to asking Aerith briefly about her mother's financial situation, Reno's lazy drawl interrupted him.

"Yo, boss man! I just got word from Ciss about Villiers bein' in the ShinRa HQ. Knowing Farron, shit's about to go down…" he trailed off, his inflection rising in expectancy. Tseng cleared his throat and shot a stern look at the sulky teen girl before him.

"I'll take you home. Next time I'm on duty, I'll bring your Chocobo Lure, only if you _behave_." Tseng pretended he didn't see the gleam of pure adoration in Aerith's green eyes as he turned to his subordinate and dismissed him with a nod. "I'll catch up with you after seeing the target-"

"_Aerith_—" the young woman interrupted, her eyes narrowing in disdain at Tseng. Tseng shook his head, the corners of his lips lifting into an amused smile.

"Sorry- I'll catch up with you after I see Miss Aerith off. If possible, keep Farron from harming Villiers excessively." Reno nodded eagerly before winking cheekily at Aerith and running off towards the station. Tseng shook his head and raised an eyebrow at the innocent looking Cetra in front of him, her hands folded behind her back as she leaned towards him in expectancy.

"It's been a while since you got me ice cream, Tseng…" Aerith pouted. The Second-in-Command of the Turks refrained from rolling his eyes as he nodded in defeat.

"Fine, but don't blame me if you get fat." Tseng quipped, not bothering to look over his shoulder as he knew Aerith's mouth had probably dropped open into an open 'O' shape.

"That's _so _rude! You're not a very nice man, you know?" Aerith stated, as if it were a fact. Tseng nearly stopped in his stride as the reality of Aerith's words sunk down on him. Although she was joking, Tseng knew deep inside that he truly wasn't a good man… and he couldn't be a good man if he still wanted to uphold the values of the ShinRa Electric Company.

The Wutaian man merely sighed and forced himself forward to buy Aerith her ice cream.

At least he was doing all he could to protect those he cared for. His Turks… his flower girl and her family…

Tseng frowned as he took the ice cream from the vendor and absently handed it to the beaming young woman next to him. Aerith took the cold container with her pale, slightly muddied hands, and smiled sweetly at her troubled friend.

"Thank you Tseng! You're too good to me!" Tseng nodded and gestured for Aerith to walk before him as he followed. He mulled over Aerith's words.

They sounded so familiar.

For those were the same words _she_ had said before everything went to hell back in Wutai.

* * *

Serah watched with wide eyes as her husband enthusiastically poked around in the SOLDIER Armoury, taking breaks to send a rather relaxed Cissnei a pleading glance.

"I'm not comfortable being here… can't we go and have a look at something else?" Serah requested, her voice shaky as she watched Snow lift a rather delicate looking Summon Materia from its case. She gulped as she read the golden name plate that was situated below the expansive collection of rare Summon Materia.

_SOLDIER 1__st__ Class: Commander Genesis Rhapsodos_

Cissnei shook her head, a small smile on her face as she watched Snow fool around with Genesis' materia. Of course, if the Crimson Commander ever found out she had encouraged some ragged boy-bimbo to explore his collection, she knew she'd find herself on the wrong side of a Firaga spell. However, sometimes… sacrifices had to be made.

Cissnei smirked at Kunsel who, despite his charming smile, seemed equally as antsy as Serah.

Kunsel was a SOLDIER after all… and he did take direct orders from the Crimson Commander.

Cissnei frowned slightly as she noticed Snow had decided the rare Summon Materia would make good juggling balls.

Breaking _one_ was okay. Breaking _three_ wasn't going to bode well.

Seeing the worried look on Cissnei's face, Serah spoke up in a soft voice.

"Honey… I think I saw a really nice museum down in the lobby. Can we go there?" Serah asked sweetly, tilting her head to the side cutely and desperately hoping Snow would cave for her act.

Serah frowned and slumped over when she realised he wasn't even looking at her. Kunsel shot her an apologetic look and inched closer to Snow, readying himself to catch the material the huge blond man was juggling.

"Oh, yeah! After this babe! I think I've finally mastered the act of juggling!" Cissnei frowned at his exuberant declaration.

"You mean you aren't proficient?" Snow shook his head as he dangerously threw the precious material up in the air.

"Nah, it's not like I have time for practicing! I'm leading a movement in the slums, you know!" Cissnei jumped up at this, a grin on her face.

"AHA- so you admit it!" the auburn haired young woman cried in victory. Snow jumped at her sudden outcry, throwing all three material up in the air at once.

The four occupants of the armoury watched with wide eyes as Genesis' precious material hurtled down towards the floor…

* * *

Maya sighed and took a bit of her spinach and feta roll, scrunching up her nose as the dry pastry refused to go down her throat.

"This needs ketchup…" the brunette mumbled as she looked up at the man sitting opposite her. Genesis smirked and reached into his pocket, producing a few sachets of ketchup and placing them before Maya. Her eyes lit up with joy as she took them graciously. "Thank you- my head's up in the clouds-"

"What is it with women and Cloud? Even Maya seems taken with him…" Maya turned in her seat to see Sephiroth approaching with Olivia by his side. The spunky blonde merely rolled her eyes and made eye contact with Maya before mouthing '_jealous_' to her and taking a seat.

Genesis raised an eyebrow at the Silver General and pushed his energy drink towards the put-off looking man.

"Drink this- you look like you need the boost, General." Sephiroth grimaced at Genesis in bad taste before shaking his head and muttering his gratitude as he opened the bottle and chugged half of the green drink down before placing it back on the table and nodding a greeting to Maya.

"Those Cadets are merely idiots with dreams. Cloud Strife, especially." Olivia frowned at this, leaning forward and grabbing a few of Maya's unattended grapes before popping them into her mouth.

"You're an idiot. A jealous idiot. Now quit being a baby and get me a smoothie- I'm starving!" Olivia snapped. Startled, Sephiroth merely exchanged a bewildered look with Genesis before he silently got up and did what he was told. Maya smiled and shook her head before applying some ketchup onto her pastry and sighed with delight as it entered her mouth.

Olivia grinned at her happy friend and turned her attention to Genesis.

"Oh yeah, did you know that your deployment's been set back a month? Apparently Wutai's got some civil problems going on within their people- there are rumours of some renegade princess wreaking havoc on her father's campaign against ShinRa for the lolz apparently." Olivia stated casually, popping yet another grape into her mouth. Maya frowned slightly as she swallowed her food before speaking.

"But… isn't the princess only eight or nine years old?" Genesis frowned at Olivia for a different reason.

"_Lolz_? You mean 'just for laughs', right? Why would a princess want to… actually forget I was going to ask that particular question. If it were up to me, I'd be wreaking havoc on my father's affairs _daily_. Still, I believe this princess you refer to might be Emperor Godo's youngest sibling. She'd been abdicated for bearing the child of one of their Crimson Elites. She was only seventeen at the time, and she was deeply in love with that man. It's been ten years since then- funny… It's been nine years since Tseng's been employed with ShinRa," Genesis trailed off, a knowing smirk on his face as Olivia leaned forward with wide eyes.

"Oh my gosh! No way! Tseng knocked up royalty? Is _that_ why he apparently refuses to go on missions in Wutai? Damn, that's why he sent that damn fine piece of ass Legend off to Wutai for surveillance duty without a break!" Genesis rolled his eyes at Olivia's crude words as Maya sighed and took a sip of her Banora Apple Juice.

"Do you have no shame woman? Speaking of men in such a lewd manner when you've got the General of the ShinRa Army running errands for you?" Genesis asked, his tone incredulous. Olivia frowned in thought before shaking her head rapidly.

"Nope, Seph's my man and I'd _never_ cheat on him. But I still reserve the right to check other men out and admire them! It's a free country- I can do what I want!" Olivia cried out passionately before shutting her mouth and smiling angelically at the approaching General who carried her source of sustenance. "Oh, sweetie! You're the best!"

Sephiroth sighed and placed Olivia''s laden tray before her. He then gestured at Genesis to follow after him as he exited the cafeteria. Genesis reached over the Maya and squeezed her shoulder, gaining her attention.

"I'll see you back in the office soon, okay?" Maya nodded, smiling gently before taking another sip of her juice. Olivia frowned at the two men who were leaving before turning to Maya.

"What's up with them? Couldn't they just wait till I finished?" Maya looked down at the upset woman's tray and tried to hold in her laughter.

"Ollie... you have a mountain of food on your tray- I don't think they would want to wait a whole hour for you to finish," Maya gently chided. Olivia sighed and nodded in agreement.

"You know… I don't usually eat like this but recently, I've been extremely ravenous. I'm kind of scared and excited at the same time. Maya… I am going to have Sephiroth's baby." Maya's eyes widened in surprise before she broke out into a sad smile.

"That's great, Olivia. Does Seph know?" Olivia sighed and shook her head as she shovelled a spoon of yogurt into her mouth.

"No… I haven't told him yet but I think he has his suspicions. I can guarantee you that Seph and Gen are talking about _me_ right now. And the baby. Gosh, it feels weird… talking about it. There's a living person _growing_ inside of me." Olivia's eyes watered up with tears, startling Maya.

"Hey, sweetie, what's wrong? Tell me," Maya spoke softly as she moved to sit beside her best friend. Olivia took a few deep breaths to prevent herself from crying before she spoke up.

"I haven't even told my parents. I don't know what they're going to say. They'll be super disappointed," Olivia sighed yet again. Maya frowned and wrapped her arms around her petite friend as she ate, despite being upset.

Pregnant women really were amazing.

"Hey, how can they be disappointed when you're dating the Silver General?" Maya quipped, trying to cheer her friend up. Olivia shook her head sadly and placed her spoon down before turning into Maya's shoulder and weeping silently.

"Because… they don't approve of violence. And Seph… is the poster boy for violence."

Maya, at a loss for what to do, merely ran her hand through Olivia's silky locks- not realising that her mother used to do the exact same thing to her when she had been all doom, gloom and despair when she was younger.

The elder Sinclair hugged her friend close and looked up at the ceiling, invoking any higher power there was to just make everything okay again.

* * *

**Note/fun facts:  
**The Tseng/Aerith part of the chapter was inspired by my stand-alone fic 'A Flower in the Slums'. I really think that Tseng cares deeply for Aerith in a way an older brother would :) Or family. So yeah... okay- I'm running late for my training session! ENJOYYY AND REVIEW IF YOU CAN :D Or not, I don't mind xD As long as you enjoy the story it's all good! :)


	22. Chapter 22

**A.N: **_**WOOO! Another quick update! I just wanted to say that I am not going to do into detail with canon story lines in my fic unless they're tweaked around so much that I need to describe whole scenes again! This is where the Crisis Core events begin, so I hope you enjoy :)**_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One-**

Genesis swiftly made his way out of the SOLDIER Briefing Room, with Angeal and Sephiroth at his heels. Walking in silence for a few paces, Genesis looked over his shoulder to check if they were all out of earshot before he turned to Angeal with a smug grin on his face.

"Earlier this evening, Sephiroth separated me from Maya and Olivia and told me some rather interesting news." Genesis turned to an annoyed looking Sephiroth and raised his eyebrows. "My friend, don't you think Uncle Angeal deserves to know about the eventual birth of his nephew?" Genesis mocked lightly. Sephiroth growled and turned pleading eyes towards Angeal.

"I was going to tell you first, but you weren't at HQ. I had no choice but to confide in either Genesis or Zachary. Genesis seemed to be the better option at the time," Sephiroth shot a distasteful look at the auburn Commander and turned his cat-like eyes back on a bemused looking Angeal. "Next time, I'll seek out Zachary." Genesis frowned, but didn't comment on Sephiroth's empty words. Angeal sighed and brought his firm hand to his temple and gently massaged at his pressure points.

"Are you taking responsibility?" Angeal asked abruptly. Sephiroth frowned and shrugged.

"I'm not too sure… what responsibility it is that I am supposed to take." Angeal allowed himself to smile as he clapped his younger friend's shoulder in support. It figured that Sephiroth didn't know what he was expected to do. He was born and bred in a lab by Professor Hojo, after all. Not that Angeal was an expert, but he'd decided right there and then that he'd do whatever he could to aid his friend in his time of need.

"Sephiroth, you're going to be a father. You're going to be responsible for watching over a small human being- this duty including feeding, bathing, clothing and amusing the child amongst other things. I don't know about all this personally, but I do know that my parents took great pride in raising me and Genesis' parents—"

"My dear mother," Genesis interrupted Angeal, earning a slight glare from his younger friend.

"Right, Genesis' mother, also took great pride in raising this hellion to become what he is today," Genesis gasped in protest.

"_Hellion_? What the hell do you mean by that?" Angeal ignored the older man-child and turned to Sephiroth, who looked rather lost for words.

"You too will take great pride in raising your own son- or daughter- in your great image. Trust me on this." Sephiroth sighed and nodded.

"When have I not trusted you, Angeal?" Genesis scoffed at Sephiroth's kind words.

"When has he ever given a reason to trust him, is more like it!" Genesis frowned petulantly. Sephiroth merely reached back and swatted his older friend with the back of his hand, earning a cry of protest from the auburn Commander. After recovering, Genesis found himself smiling despite the surging jealousy that suddenly gripped his heart. "Congratulations, friend. Olivia and yourself will be expecting your own little Gift from the Goddess very soon. Many well wishes to you," Sephiroth nodded and smiled stiffly in acknowledgement of his frenemy.

"Thank you. Your words are much appreciated." Angeal grinned at his two friends as they made their way to the elevator.

"Sephiroth," Angeal called confidently. The Silver General turned towards the raven haired Commander and regarded him with a questioning look. Angeal offered his friend a supporting grin. "Tell her you know, and they you love her." Sephiroth averted his gaze, but nodded all the same.

"I shall." Genesis stood stiffly beside his two celebrating friends, feeling his heart grow heavy and polluted with jealousy.

The last thing he remembered before halting the elevator and stepping out onto the SOLDIER Floor yet again was insisting on a training session with his two friends.

'_Why does Sephiroth always get _everything_? Why am I always left with nothing?_'

Blades clashed, wounds were freshly torn and a friend's haunting words remained etched in memory…

_Even if the morrow is barren of promises… nothing shall forestall my return_.

* * *

Maya injected the struggling chicks with the Jenova specimen and frowned as they seemed to grow lethargic and subdued in a matter of seconds. Glancing at her research method, Maya adjusted her glasses atop her nose and noted down her observations in her green notebook. Placing the chicks back into their home cage, she bent down next to the untreated chicks in their separate cage and frowned at the blatant difference between the two groups.

Something was not right. The Jenova cells were definitely having a negative impact on the poor chicks. Maya sighed and let her chin drop onto the top of the cage.

"I'm sorry for hurting your friends, little ones. I need to work on them for a few more days… I just need to know what's causing this apparent loss of willpower and motivation. All I know is that Jenova cells are not good news." Maya frowned as she leaned away from the caged chicks who enthusiastically chirped at her. Casting one last sad glance at the treated chicks, Maya draped a sheet over both cages and grabbed her materials before heading back to her desk.

Maya glanced up at the clock and noticed that Genesis had yet to make an appearance at their shared cubicle. A small smile crossed her face at the thought of Genesis. The man was strange, temperamental and obviously losing his mind. However, she still thought fondly of him- she couldn't label the feeling as 'love' yet. However, it would only be a matter of time before even she fell for his exuberant, dramatic charms.

All she needed was time.

Time that she, unfortunately, seemed to have run out of.

Yet, she was still blissfully unaware.

Maya shook her head, ridding herself of her girlish thoughts as she settled into her office chair and prepared herself for a sold few hours of research. She'd continue her work until Genesis came to get her.

* * *

Genesis frowned at his long-time doctor- Professor Hollander- as he suggested a blood transplant with a grave look on his face.

"Blood transplant? There's no need for such drama over a mere scratch! I've been injured much more gravely than this before and, as you can see, I have lived to tell the tale!" The greying doctor standing in front of Genesis shook his head in annoyance and shot a glare at the auburn Commander.

"It's a precaution. Let me go get Angeal," Genesis' eyes widened at the mention of his mother-hen friend. All would go to hell if Angeal got wind that his injury was serious enough to warrant a blood transplant.

"Wait- I'll take the blood transplant but… is there anyone else I can get it from besides Angeal? Why does it have to be Angeal? We are not blood related." Hollander averted his gaze from Genesis' inquisitive eyes.

"Your blood types match. That's all there is to it. But if you insist- I do believe other arrangements can be made." The Crimson Commander narrowed his eyes at Hollander's suspicious tone.

"Tell me what you mean by that." Genesis demanded, his tone soft but his eyes hard. Hollander merely smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"My dear boy, you're stuck in the middle of quite a magnificent web of lies," Hollander jabbed a syringe filled with mako into Genesis' bicep, making the Commander hiss in pain. "This should help alleviate some pain. I'll go and make some arrangements. Hold tight, Rhapsodos- you're in for a bumpy ride and other than Hojo, I'm all you have. So if I were you, I'd be treated the better, _less insane_ professor with a little more respect. But that's just my little piece of sage advice. I'll be going now," Hollander grinned mockingly before stepping out of his lab.

Genesis eyed the sterile white walls illuminated by the cold surgical lamps and shivered involuntarily.

He absolutely _hated_ the labs when Maya wasn't close by.

* * *

"Kunsel Harringer. SOLDIER Second Class- and for good reason too. If you'd been promoted, we'd have slum rats _exploring_ the SOLDIER Armoury on a daily basis," Kunsel gulped, his anxiety visible for all too see as he stood in the middle of Claire 'Lightning' Farron's office. The head of the HQ Security Division sighed before narrowing her eyes at the young man standing before her. Kunsel's multi-coloured eyes glistened in the strangely warm lighting of Lieutenant Farron's office as he urged himself to maintain eye contact.

"With all due respect ma'am, Cissnei and I thought we were doing you a favour…" a girlish gasp rang out from behind him, causing Cissnei to elbow him from where she stood beside him.

"You played us! I thought you were genuinely being nice!" Serah cried out, her voice full of hurt. Farron scoffed and shook her head in ill humour.

"Serah, how many times have I told you _not_ to trust people in zipper-suits?" Cissnei's mouth dropped open in shock at the Lieutenant's offensive statement. Before Cissnei could defend herself and the Turks, the intimidating rose-haired woman began to speak again. "And didn't I warn you about bringing Snow here? Now Cloud's going to have problems with freaking Genesis Rhapsodos just because he's somehow related to your ass of a husband," the Lieutenant sighed in disdain before making her way around her desk and seating herself softly on her chair. Serah frowned and blinked at her older sister before stepping forward, unintentionally barging her shoulder into Cissnei. Turning towards the Turk, the younger Farron offered a small smile and apologised before she turned back to her sister with fire in her eyes.

"Claire, you're being rude! Cissnei and Kunsel may have deceived us, but I guess there were only doing their jobs. And it's not like I could tell Snow he wasn't allowed to come! That would have put a damper on his mood for who knows how long!" Claire Farron glared up at her younger sister and folded her arms stubbornly in front of her chest.

"Does it look like I care about how Snow feels? This is my jurisdiction, and he messed around with SOLDIER property… damn it!" Claire stood from her seat suddenly and rounded on the shaggy haired SOLDIER in the room. "Of all the SOLDIER's Materia in that damn room, you decided to give the oaf _Genesis'_ _Materia_? Are you mental? Do you realise how much shit _I_ am going to have to take from Rhapsodos just because his pretty marble collection's been damaged?" Claire fired off, her ice blue eyes clouding in slight fear. "Shit… this is bad. This is _so_ bad." Claire spoke to herself before turning to Cissnei.

"Um… yes?" Cissnei piped up, slightly nervous. As a Turk, she had barely had to deal with the Security Department face to face. She'd heard stories about Claire 'Lightning' Farron, and none of them were pleasant. The auburn haired young woman prepared herself for a good lecture.

"Do you know what materia that buffoon destroyed? Is there a way we can replace it using artificial means for the time being? Just until we can send some SOLDIER to go harvest mako stones and replace the fakes with real ones?" Claire asked, hope in her eyes. Serah turned to Cissnei, her own deep blue eyes glistening with child-like hope.

"They were red ones- that's all I remember… are they replaceable?" Claire's jaw dropped open in horror at Serah's words.

"R-red?! SUMMONS?! YOU LET HIM FOOL AROUND WITH RHAPSODOS' SUMMON MATERIA?!" Claire roared, turning on Kunsel, who stood stock still in terror. Cissnei blinked, maintaining her aloof demeanour, but on the inside, she was trembling like a baby dear in head lights.

She thought Villiers was the one who was supposed to be getting interrogated. Yet here they were- herself and Kunsel- standing together like scolded school children.

"I'm sorry-?" Kunsel offered weakly. Claire groaned in frustration before she jabbed her finger in the direction of the door.

"Everyone- OUT! I'm gonna fix this mess before Genesis burns down the whole damn building." Serah frowned at her sister as she moved towards the door.

"Can you let Snow out of his cell?" Serah asked, hope in her voice. Claire smirked and shook her head.

"No. I need bait- I'm not going to cop a powerful fire spell for Snow." Serah gasped in horror, which made Claire feel slightly sorry for her sister. It wasn't her fault she fell in love with a moron. Claire sighed and took a step towards Serah and placed what was supposed to be a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "Don't worry, Snow's a big boy. If we get to him quick enough after the attack, we have a fifty-fifty chance of bringing him back to life with an Elixer. Now go on and see Cloud before you go- Aunt Eira will want to see pictures of little Cloud in his uniform." Serah stared up at her sister in horror.

"You're kidding, right?" Serah asked in a hushed voice. Kunsel chose that moment to poke his head in.

"No, that sounds just about right. But hey- we got his confession! That's a good thing!" Kunsel grinned happily. Serah let out a wail of despair as she trudged past Kunsel and out of Claire's office. Kunsel frowned and raised his eyebrows at the Head of HQ Security.

"Did I say something upsetting?" Kunsel asked, bewildered. Claire rolled her eyes and pushed the Second Class out of her office with force before she shut the door and locked it behind her. She then turned towards her phone and let out a huge sigh before she dialled Genesis' number.

She was not looking forward to conversing with the Crimson Commander at all.

* * *

Maya smiled warily as she caught sight of Angeal and Sephiroth standing outside of Professor Hollander's office with worried looks on their faces.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Maya asked quietly, laying a hand against Sephiroth's bicep. The General nodded to acknowledge her presence, but refused to say anymore.

Angeal sighed and offered Maya a stiff smile before nodding at the office door.

"Genesis got hurt during our impromptu training session earlier today. There's something wrong and he needs a blood transplant—" Maya's eyes narrowed at the two men standing before her, feeling a surge of protectiveness for Genesis.

"Who did it?" Maya asked quietly. Angeal took a step back from the angry brunette and shot Sephiroth a guilty look. Sephiroth sighed and shook his head slightly before turning to Maya and looking her in the eye.

"We are all at fault- but I believe it is his sense of inferiority towards me that spurred on the harsh battle. I got too caught up in the battle and didn't notice Genesis' fatigue. Angeal tried to stop the both of us but his sword broke under the pressure of our attacks. The fragments struck Genesis on the shoulder. He said he was fine, but when we came to check on him an hour ago, Hollander said it wasn't healing. If he doesn't get a blood donor within a week…" Sephiroth frowned, not noticing the disappointed and worried look on the psychologist's face.

"There's been something wrong with him before this." Maya spoke aloud. Angeal bore his gaze down on Maya in confusion.

"What? You mean he was already healing at a slow rate?" Maya nodded, ignoring the anger she felt towards Genesis and the two men standing outside the office with her.

Why couldn't Genesis just try to stay put? Why couldn't Angeal and Sephiroth see that enough was enough? Why did they have to indulge Genesis and his whims?

"A few months ago, when he's first been moved into my… office… he'd somehow burned himself on his face and his mako wasn't healing him. I had to use an Elixir on him. Then a few days ago, he lost his temper over _nothing_ and nearly attacked me. But then he got a grip on himself and… now this." Maya found herself buckling and sinking down to her knees as the reality of the situation caught up with her.

Genesis was ill.

No one knew what was wrong with him.

Maya frowned as she caught sight of Hollander heading their way with a syringe of mako-like substance in his possession. He barged past her, not paying her much mind, before grabbing Angeal and pulling him into his office without a word.

Angeal was too bewildered to protest.

Sephiroth stared at the now closed door, a hurt look in his eyes as he unconsciously stepped closer to Maya- his only source of comfort.

"Why can't I be the donor?" he muttered sadly, staring into hs hands. Maya shrugged and looked up at the towering form of Sephiroth.

"Hojo…" Maya whispered to herself. If anyone were to know what was going on, Hojo would. Not that he'd tell her. Maya gulped as she quickly made up her mind.

It was time for her to snoop around and find some answers.

Reaching for Sephiroth's hand, Maya allowed herself to be pulled up by Sephiroth before she pulled the Silver General into a brief hug- despite the dangers of being caught.

"Maya? Hojo may see us…" Maya rolled her eyes and hiccupped as her head-strong behaviour began to overwhelm her.

"Screw him. E-everything's going to h-hell. But I'm here. I'm always going to be here and I'll find an answer to all of these questions. I will!" Maya spoke softly, but with determination. Sephiroth pulled away from his friend and looked down at her with soft eyes.

"Maya… Olivia's carrying my child." Maya closed her eyes and let out a sigh before nodding.

"I know. Don't let her down. She needs you. Now more than ever." Sephiroth nodded and patted her shoulder in comfort.

"That doesn't mean I can't be around for you. Please- I may not be good at it, but I will lend an ear or hand whenever you require my services," Maya couldn't help but smile at Sephiroth's sweet offer. Nodding her head, she grinned up at Sephiroth, silently accepting her offer to support her when she felt like she was losing her sole protector to an unknown ailment.

"I appreciate it. Thank you, Seph." Sephiroth nodded stoically before glancing once more at Hollander's closed office before swiftly making his way out of the labs.

Maya sighed and turned her eyes back onto Hollander's door and silently mouthed her well-wishes to Genesis before turning and making her way to the staircase.

She needed to snoop around.

It was time she paid a visit to the Department of Administrative Research.

* * *

**Notes/funfacts:  
**This is a short chapter compared to a lot of my recent updates (or past updates- whatever), but it's full of plot development and devices and all that so forgive me for that xD Expect a few fast updates from me for this fic, at least until the 27th of July- after that, I'm back to slogging it out at university xD I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and please do drop me a review or PM if you feel the characters are spiraling out of control. Apologies for adding in other FF characters- I really couldn't be bothered with making new OCs- it takes effort to make good ones LOL. Also... IS IT SAD THAT I'M EXCITED FOR THE BIRTH OF OLIVIA AND SEPHIROTH'S BABY? I totally want to start writing about their baby (who will actually be a familiar character... ;D)! More than that, I have a super duper idea for a story that I want to write BUT I have to finish 'A Flower in the Slums' first :O Anyways- sorry for the rant and congratulations for making it this far down the notes if you read the whole thing HAHAHAHAHHA! Have a Moosh hug *hug*!


	23. Chapter 23

**A.N: _Very overdue, very bipolar... I know. Still, there's a nice surprise at the end of this chapter for you Gaya shippers! :D_**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Two-**

Genesis stood in front of the head of ShinRa HQ's Security Department, glaring intensely at the rose haired woman. Claire Farron wasn't a woman he usually associated with, but her track record was impeccable when it came to building security, so he had convinced himself to trust her ability to do her job as the authority behind the safekeeping of SOLDIER supplies within the armoury a mere three years ago.

It figured something like this was bound to happen, since she held very little appreciation for Materia and its uses on the battle field.

If training the troops was entirely up to her, Claire Farron would assert that all personnel be trained solely to use gunblades.

Genesis shuddered in annoyance and turned his cold gaze towards Claire's bright blue eyes. The new cadet, Strife, looked a lot like her.

Of course they'd look alike- they were family after all.

Claire cleared her throat and stood at attention before her superior.

"Sir, I apologise for my unit's incompetence. However, I have the culprit in custody at this very moment and—" Genesis raised his hand, effectively cutting Claire's speech off.

"How did a civilian get into the SOLDIER Armoury? Why was a civilian allowed to _touch_ my property?" the Crimson Commander asked, his voice softened with repressed anger. Claire remained standing straight behind her desk.

Genesis had to give the woman some credit- she wasn't crying and begging for her life yet. It was nice to know there were some competent employees wandering around the building.

Still, given that the woman had apparently let some buffoon into his Materia storage and subsequently failed to prevent his precious summon materia from being decommissioned, Genesis inwardly hoped that he would be the first to make 'Lightning' Farron cry.

Today would be the day.

She would cry, and the Crimson Commander would revel in the woman's fear of him-!

"With all due respect sir, the fault is hardly mine. As a matter of fact, that mousey Turk and her SOLDIER boy-toy used your materia stores as a distraction to extract a confession from a rather unfortunate soul." Farron's deadpan voice rung out in her office, meeting the dumb founded silence of Genesis Rhapsodos.

Genesis frowned slightly before raising a gloved hand to his forehead and massaging his temples.

"I don't care _who_ did it- I can never get those summons back again! That imbecile shattered my Alexander materia!" Genesis took a step towards Farron, who merely stared back with her icy blue eyes- looking at Genesis as if he were a four year old throwing a temper tantrum. "You tell me, Claire- where do you reckon I can find another one?" Genesis leaned across Claire's desk, his glare failing to intimidate the stoic woman on the other side of the desk.

The rose-haired woman sighed and brushed a few stray wisps of her locks from her eyes before making direct eye-contact with the infuriated Crimson Commander.

"Look, I know you're upset about your precious marble being tampered with but that stuff's unnatural anyway. If you want to see a _real_ Alexander, I know a guy…" Genesis snorted at Claire's blasé comment and waved her off.

"You lie- Summon Materia is as pure as you can get. You're just trying to sway me with pretty words, but that won't work, Claire. I need to see proof of this _natural summoning_ you speak of now. Otherwise you're going to the Infirmary for a long time and your sister's going to be a widow." Farron's pupils contracted in shock before her lips settled into a grim frown.

"How the hell did you know who-?"

"I _always_ keep tabs on my materia. You don't need to know how- just know that I _do_ Claire." Genesis snapped.

The head of the HQ Security Department rolled her eyes at the way Genesis used her name.

"I'll show you on the outskirts of the city after I clock out today. Just stop calling me Claire." Genesis raised his eyebrows at the uncomfortable tone Claire's voice took on.

"What do I call you, if not Claire? That is your name, is it not?" Genesis asked, feeling his curiosity win over his near-perpetual fury. Claire sighed and shrugged.

"Yeah but… call me Lightning. We're colleagues. I only let my family call me Claire… and that only on special occasions." Genesis nodded, respecting the woman's request before turning to leave Lightning's office.

"Okay then, Lightning. Who am I to dishonour the request of a department head? Now, remember- I want to see this _natural_ summoning of yours. I've left my personal contact details on your desk. I expect a call no later than eight this evening."

And with that said, Genesis Rhapsodos has exited Lightning's office.

Lightning Farron let out a huge sigh of relief before placing her hand on the centre of her chest. Closing her eyes, she concentrated until she could feel the familiar thrumming of other-worldly energy from within herself.

_Odin… let's put on a show for Rhapsodos tonight. As much as I hate Snow, I don't want to answer to Serah when she finds him burnt to a crisp._

* * *

Maya tilted her head to the side and fidgeted with her thumbs as she watched Reno consider her request. The younger Sinclair sibling stared up at his sister with an impassive look on his face.

"You want me to snoop around ShinRa's top secret records on _Sephiroth_\- guarded by that bat-shit crazy Hojo?" Reno asked, his voice deceptively calm. Maya frowned, but nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, a tiny favour-"

"No."

Maya's frown deepened, her warm brown eyes widening.

"Why not? You're the only one I know with full access! And besides, I'm asking as a scientist of the ShinRa labs- not your older sister. I have the paper work ready in my office and everything!" Maya asserted, her soft voice unwavering.

Reno glanced up at his sister and quickly returned his gaze to his PC's screen before reaching up to rub the top of his head. Leaning back in his office chair, Reno sighed and stretched his long arms towards his keyboard, expertly typing in what Maya hoped was a password of some sort.

A few keystrokes later, Reno sat up straight, his bright eyes shining with unmasked curiosity. Maya forced herself to stay put, aware that there were other Turks in the neighbouring offices. It would not look professional at all if she attempted to situate herself behind Reno and peer at the contents of Reno's screen from over his shoulder.

Still, she couldn't just stand around and watch Reno stare at his screen in amazement.

"What? Did you find something of interest? Can you show me? Did Hojo steal a baby? Is Sephiroth a _stolen baby_?" Maya gasped as the questions left her mouth. "Oh dear, no wonder he's so detached from the rest of the world!" Maya sent a look of panic at her younger brother, who merely watched Maya go off on a tangent with his brow raised.

"Sis, calm down. He's not stolen… not really…" Reno snuck a look around himself before shooting Maya an annoyed look. "Look, I'm gonna go print this shit for you right now while Tseng's gettin' some coffee with Clarey. Genesis has some papers he's gotta drop down here in a few minute's time so I'll send the files up with him—" Maya's eyes widened at Reno's words. She stepped forward, shaking her hands frantically in front of herself.

"No, no! No one in SOLDIER can see those files. Especially not Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth! Not if… what I think happened is actually true," Maya frowned to herself, ignoring Reno's annoyed sigh.

"I love ya sis, but you always go make shit hard for me…" Maya's eyed widened a small fraction in hurt as she ducked her head low, avoiding Reno's gaze.

"I'm sorry… this is just… it's important Renaldo." Maya finished quietly. Reno sighed and ran a hand through his messy locks.

"Yeah, yeah… sorry sis. I'm just a little stressed out- Tseng's been piling work on me like I'm some kind of machine and no one's even botherin' to help me out with this damn paper work. Don't worry 'bout me though- I'll send the papers up with one of the Turks. Just go back to your office and do your research thing," Reno finished mumbling as he ruffled Maya's chocolate brown hair.

Thankful, Maya nodded to her younger sibling- her warm eyes filled with gratitude and worry.

"Thank you Reno. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know- okay?" Reno nodded distractedly, waving Maya off towards the elevators before letting out a frustrated sigh and diving back into his paper work.

Though all the while, he kept an eye on the printer and made sure to stuff the printed documents into a sealed envelope before tackling the rest of this work.

Reno frowned as he considered the material he'd briefly read in Sephiroth's file.

_The first 'complete' success… what the hell is that supposed to mean? And why were there so many referenced to the 'G' project? That's Hollander's shit, right?_

Reno frowned as he stuffed the file into a pigeon hole on his desk before shaking his head and moving on to the annoying paper work he had to fill out regarding an incident in Wall Market involving a pick-pocket and an infantry man.

Gaia, there was _so_ much blood.

Reno shivered and lifted his pen, determined to finish off his work and head towards the Goblin Bar for a drink before calling it a day.

* * *

Genesis was not accustomed to seeing Reno Sinclair working so earnestly behind a desk.

It was actually easier to identify Reno and Maya as siblings when Reno wasn't being… Reno.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Genesis gently threw his mission report onto Reno's desk and rapped on the wooden desk once in an attempt to get the young Turk's attention.

"The files on the new cadets initial aptitude tests- where are they?" Reno frowned and waved at the pigeon hole on his desk distractedly before furiously scribbling on his own incident report. Genesis couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction as he snatched up the sealed envelope and turned to leave the Department of Administrative Research.

Seeing Reno work so earnestly was both empowering and heart breaking at the same time.

Still, the red head was so much more likeable when he resembled his older sister.

Genesis stopped in his tracks as he realised where his thoughts were heading. Blushing slightly, the embarrassed Commander made a beeline for the elevators.

_Goddess! I'm angry one minute and blushing like a school boy the next… I feel that I should be concerned_.

Genesis winced as his shoulder wound throbbed dully in pain as he stepped into the elevator. Gingerly rubbing the area around the wound, Genesis sighed and made his way to his shared office with Maya.

* * *

Maya stared at the clock in her office, behind Genesis' desk, and frowned worriedly.

No Turk had come by to drop off the files she had asked for. The brunette was growing more and more restless by the minute.

What if Reno got caught with those files? There was some highly classified stuff in there- since most things that had anything to do with Professor Hojo and SOLDIER usually were on a need-to-know clearance level.

Was Reno at that level?

Maya let herself breathe easy as she realised that, yes, her brother was a Turk. He was definitely privy to most classified information that circulates around the ShinRa Company, no doubt.

Still, why hadn't the files arrived yet?

Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Maya stood up from her seat and shuffled towards the sliding door of both her and Genesis' shared office.

"Oh, where are you off to?" Genesis asked pleasantly, as his figure got revealed by opening the door. Maya gasped and brought one of her hands to her chest, her eyes wide in shock.

"Goodness! Genesis… you seem chipper today," Maya observed out loud. The brunette frowned slightly as she caught a slight blush on the Crimson Commander's cheeks. "Are you feeling alright Genesis? You're flushed!" Maya immediately grabbed Genesis' arm and pulled him into the office, steering his muscled frame towards his chair and easing the bemused (and shy) commander into it. Whirling it around, she adjusted the chair so that Genesis was not facing her.

She placed a cool hand on his flushed cheek and frowned at the temperature, unaware of how close she was leaning in to carry out her observation. Genesis cleared his throat and willed himself to calm down as his eyes met Maya's.

"I am fine." The Crimson Commander tried to state coolly, but he found himself blushing even harder as the short psychologist frowned and let out a cool breath onto his neck as she finished giving him a once-over. "You should probably stop doing that…" Genesis warned gently.

Maya stopped her mother-hen actions and tilted her head to the side in question.

"Am I annoying you? I'm just worried about you…" she drifted off, looking away from Genesis. She looked a little hurt, but understanding. "I know I can be a little over-bearing but when I care for someone I can't help but do everything I can to make sure that—"

Genesis smiled suddenly, leaving Maya confused and speechless.

"Wha-?" Maya began before being cut off yet again as Genesis gently held onto her forearms and pulled her closer to him. "H-hey! W-what are you d-d-doing?" Maya stuttered, feeling nervous. She watched Genesis as he frowned a little, pulling her in even further so that their faces were only centimetres apart.

"Something I refrained from doing for so long… but my dear- I'm feeling rather impulsive right now." Genesis let the envelope in his hands slowly fall onto the floor as he encircled Maya's waist with his arms, gently guiding her to sit on his lap. Reaching one hand up to cup Maya's flushed cheek, he took in the sight of her alarmed face and inviting pink lips.

"Genesis…" the Crimson Commander shook his head and leaned forward, gently brushing his nose against Maya's.

"Hush… let me show you how you drive me crazy Dr Maya Sinclair."

And with that, their lips finally met in a chaste kiss.

... the envelope lay forgotten on the floor of their shared office.

* * *

**Note:** I wrote this chapter over... two months?! Gosh... apologies again my friends. You have waited a long time... anyways- the trouble begins next chapter! Hope to see you all there! :D


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